Harry Wagener 1902
by aliasfluffyone
Summary: After nearly twenty years, Harry Wagoner is finally being released from prison. Heyes wants to keep an eye on Harry. Is it kidnapping? Or just watching out for an old friend? No Amnesty - Smith and Jones Days, c Spring 1902 and c Spring 1895
1. Old Friends?

Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.

A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate. Story exists in the same No Amnesty - Smith and Jones story verse as previous stories.

Old Friends?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Harry Wagener!" exploded Kid. "You want to bring him here?"

The irate forty-seven year old former outlaw's blue eyes popped wide open in disbelief at Heyes' question. The slender, dark haired genius clutched the gnarled firewood he held tightly to his chest, wrinkling his black shirt. Kid leaned in closer, brandishing another split log.

"Lower your voice," admonished Heyes.

The muscular blond glanced over his shoulder at the cabin behind him. Dark brown eyes followed Kid's gaze. The front door on the shadowed porch was barely visible in the twilight, but the warm golden glow of lamplight shining through the windows on either side gave a glimpse to the inside. Jenny Black had her hands full. Thaddeus Jones' self-proclaimed mother sat in a rocking chair near the fireplace, ensconced with the sleepy four year old twins, Charlotte and Carolyn. The older girls, thirteen year old Eliza, nine year old Hannah, and eight year old Jennifer sat at the long narrow table. Books and papers lay scattered between the children. Clem stood between Jennifer and the dark haired boy seated at the end of the table. Arthur looked up and flashed a dimpled smile at his mother.

"You never said anything about bringing him here before!" hissed Kid, in a quieter tone. "Why?"

Heyes' gaze settled on his son's best friend. Kid had once teasingly suggested they might name the child Lorraine if she was a girl, but instead sent Jenny into happy tears when he and Matt declared their third daughter's name to be Jennifer Mercy Jones. Heyes returned his eyes to his partner. Nimble fingers plucked the firewood from Kid's hand and added it to his own load.

"Our favorite lawyer said the parole board agreed to release Harry early," answered Heyes.

A brief smile crossed Kid's face at the mention of the man. Heyes had approached the fledgling attorney about Harry Wagener as soon as he had been licensed to practice in Wyoming. Turning back to face Heyes, the sturdy blond's jaw clenched. Kid rubbed his now empty hand across the faint stubble on his chin. The open collar of Kid's blue shirt gave a glimpse of the vein throbbing in his throat. Heyes swallowed a smile. He could almost hear Kid counting to ten. Finally, Kid spoke.

"Having Harry here ain't safe for our families and the folks around here," warned Kid.

The tall blond bent over to pick up more wood. Kid's movement disturbed a small, striped rodent. The chipmunk scampered away from the woodpile. Stopping at the tree line, the tiny creature turned to chatter angrily before turning and disappearing into the darkness.

"Why not? We've already got the Devil's Hole Gang living here," prodded Heyes. "Why do you object to one more former outlaw? At least Harry's served most of his time!"

"Wheat, Kyle, Lobo and Preacher are family," huffed Kid as he add more firewood to the load he carried. "There was a reason Harry Wagener never was part of our gang! Why we never brought him to Devil's Hole! He's always up to something dangerous."

"He's always coming up with dangerous ideas," agreed Heyes, "but most of those plans never actually came through."

"His last scheme nearly got me killed!" protested Kid.

Heyes narrowed his eyes. Twenty years ago, Harry Wagener, Janet Judson and her daughter Lorraine resorted to kidnapping and threats of murder to inveigle Heyes into doing their bidding. He could still hear Wagener's self-satisfied, gloating voice after being forced to open the Pierce and Hamilton 1878, _"Heyes you were beautiful."_

"Not likely I'll ever forget that Kid," responded Heyes in a low tone. "But I feel guilty for the way things turned out…"

"What?"

Kid's jaw dropped, his mouth gaping. Blue eyes opened even wider than before, if that was possible. Heyes stopped speaking. His partner stood up, arms laden with kindling.

"Don't tell me you feel guilty about turning him and the money in!"

The incredulity in Kid's tone was evident.

"We did leave him and those women locked up in that jail cell...," began Heyes.

"Robbin' the First National Bank was their idea," interrupted Kid. "And, if you recall, they sure weren't worried about us being blamed for that robbery!"

After leaving the threesome behind bars in the custody of Deputy Lee Harper, the partners hurried out of town. Months later, they learned that Wagener, in a misguided attempt to protect Janet, claimed to be responsible for the robbery and everything involved in pulling it off. Everything.

"Harry brought all that happened afterwards on himself!" declared Kid.

While investigating Wagener's story, Sheriff Baldwin found the homestead where Kid had been held. Signs of Kid's captivity and struggle were still present. Then the lawman examined the shallow grave outside. The recently buried body changed everything. Conflicting stories from Janet and Lorraine only confused matters. Initial charges of murder against Harry were later dropped to manslaughter, but manslaughter in addition to the armed robbery charge sent Wagener to prison for twenty years. Janet and Lorraine both served a lesser sentence.

"He shouldn't have been sentenced to twenty years for his first robbery," countered Heyes.

"First successful robbery," argued Kid. "Or at least first successful robbery that we know about."

"It's not like Harry has any place else to go," coaxed Heyes. "Not after what happened last year."

Kid closed his eyes at the unpleasant reminder. Upon the lady's release, Janet settled in Laramie with her daughter. The older woman visited Harry regularly up until just before Harry was transferred to Rawlins. No one knew what happened exactly, but the women were gone. The Laramie Boomerang reported lurid details of the sheriff's investigation, signs of a struggle, a red streak on the floor leading to the back door, wheel marks in the muddy alley. Heyes wasn't the only person to suspect that one of the women killed the other and dragged the body outside to a waiting wagon.

"Bringing him here is dangerous to us too. The last time we saw him, he was set on turning us in," challenged Kid.

"It's more dangerous not bringing him here," asserted Heyes. "He already knows the names we're using, and he knows we're alive."

Although Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry had finally received amnesty, and the bank and railroad bounties were long cancelled, the reformed outlaws continued to live under the names Smith and Jones. The tricky Governor had left one more obstacle in their path to freedom. The amnesty was posthumous only. Alive, Heyes and Curry were still wanted. The state reward of five hundred dollars wasn't the same incentive as ten thousand dollars, but a vengeful man might not need a lot of motivation.

"After all this time, _if_ he's even thinking about looking for us, Harry will probably be looking for two drifters," argued Kid. "Harry ain't gonna be looking for a librarian named Joshua Smith or a gunsmith named Thaddeus Jones, settled down with wives and children."

"You might be right, except for that newspaper article about the bear cubs that reporter Wilkins wrote a few years back," replied Heyes with a smooth smile.

The look of alarm on Kid's face told Heyes his partner remembered. The Porterville Press printed a human interest article mentioning Thaddeus Jones by name and sporting a photograph of Wheat and Kyle. The article, picked up by a news wire and reprinted in multiple newspapers, had already brought one dangerous person to Thunder Ridge. Two dangerous people, if like Kyle, you counted Wheat's wife Martha as a person not to be crossed.

"Harry might not have..." started Kid.

"Our favorite attorney say's Harry has a clipping of the article," stated Heyes. "And Harry has asked a lot of questions about Thaddeus Jones and Thunder Ridge."

The faint smell of wood smoke wafted through the darkening night air, reminding the men of the chore that had brought them outside.

"We're the closest thing Harry's got to a family now," wheedled Heyes.

"Heyes...," Kid began, shaking his head.

"And if Harry doesn't have any place to go, he has to finish his sentence," cajoled Heyes, bringing out his final argument. "That means another six months in prison."

For a moment Kid stared at his partner in silence.

"You couldn't have said that to begin with?" demanded Kid with a frown. "Why did you even ask if I minded you bringing Harry Wagener to come live at Thunder Ridge?"

"I needed to hear all your arguments against having Harry come here first," smirked Heyes, "to make sure I hadn't missed anything."

"Phht!"

Kid shifted the load of wood in his arms and turned. Long legs strode back towards the cabin. Heyes hurried after his partner.

"Harry Wagener never was a really bad man," reminded Heyes. "Until the First National Bank robbery, Harry was mainly only involved in wild plans that never really went anywhere and a string of confidence schemes."

"He never was much of a conman," remembered Kid. "Even Silky said so."

"And a worse poker player," added Heyes.

They reached the steps. Kid turned to look at Heyes.

"Maybe Silky would take him?" suggested Kid with one last effort. "After all Silky is the one who introduced us, and Harry seemed to like San Francisco."

"I tried already," replied Heyes shaking his head. "Do you wanna know Silky's exact words?"

Kid gave a rueful chuckle as he shook his curly blond head. The sharp tongued nonagenarian was known for speaking his mind, and Silky had never been exactly partial to Wagener.

"No, but I still don't like the idea of Harry Wagener coming here," grumbled Kid.

"Me neither," agreed Heyes as he followed his partner up the porch stairs, "but at least here we can keep an eye on him."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Heyes shivered in the late spring drizzle. The fringed yellow canopy top over the surrey didn't help much to keep the dampness out while he waited outside the prison. Wagener had been one of the last prisoners transferred from the old prison in Laramie to the new facility in Rawlins. It was shortly before eleven when the cunning Kansan saw young Attorney Hale step through the gates of the prison. The lawyer held his arm deferentially for the older man. Heyes sucked in a deep breath. He knew Harry was a good fifteen years older than Heyes' own fifty-one, but the silver haired confidence man seemed much older.

"Good thing Riordan is bringing you to me," murmured Heyes. "I might not have recognized you Harry."

The former safe cracker watched his favorite lawyer walk slowly alongside the older man before tying down the reins. Heyes eyed Wagener's threadbare coat. He wasn't sure, but it might have been the same coat Harry had bought in San Francisco. Or maybe Harry just liked corduroy patches on his elbows. Either way, determined Heyes, Harry's coat would have to be replaced before winter set in. Heyes ushed back the brim of his black hat and stepped down from the buggy. He straightened the lapels of his gray suit coat and ran his finger along the inside of his tie, before he strode confidently forward to meet the men.

"Harry Wagener," greeted Heyes, extending his hand to the older man. With a sideways nod at Riordan, he added, "Attorney Hale."

Alert eyes lit up in recognition. Strong, knobby fingers grasped Heyes' hand tightly.

"Hey…," began Wagener.

"Joshua Smith," interrupted Heyes. With a pretend glance of warning towards the fledgling attorney, the shrewd strategist added, "Perhaps you don't remember me, but we worked together in San Francisco once."

"We knew each other," acknowledged Wagener in a gravelly voice.

Harry coughed hard, releasing Heyes' hand as he leaning forward, hacking harshly. It was a moment before Wagener straightened up and resumed speaking.

"Hardly recognized you without them long sideburns."

Heyes gave a rueful grin as he rubbed his clean shaven face.

"My whiskers turned gray," admitted Heyes. Running a hand through his dark hair, he lifted a long section to reveal a small section of gray hair just above his ears. "Rest of the hair, except for this spot by my temples, hasn't changed."

"Been a long time."

Heyes nodded in agreement. Still referring to Riordan formally, as if he barely knew the attorney, the mastermind continued.

"Attorney Hale said you were willing to participate in the early release program," continued Heyes in a slick tone."There's a place up in the mountains, hardly anyone ever goes there, but it's…"

"I'm interested in early release, but not in going with you," declared Wagener.

Heyes raised startled brown eyes to look at Attorney Hale. The lawyer's blue eyes hardened.

"Harry, we've gone over this," reminded Riordan in a weary tone that left Heyes wondering how many times the lawyer had explained the deal to Harry. "This is not a pardon and you haven't finished your time. If you don't go with Mr. Smith, I'll be forced to take you back inside to finish out the remainder of your sentence."

Wagener glanced away for a moment. Bright eyes searched the carriage route and front courtyard as if he expected to see an escape route or maybe he was looking for someone. His eyes finally settled on the foreboding prison building.

"Smith, I appreciate the invite. Going with you has got to be better than staying another six months here," rasped Wagener, trying Heyes' alias out. Wagener spoke again, bluntly, very bluntly. "Joshua, I wanna get as far away from this hellhole as possible."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The drizzle stopped by the time Heyes and Wagener reached the train station. Heyes nodded to the bench in front of the station master's office,

"Wait there while I return the surrey," directed Heyes. "I'll be back to purchase the train tickets in a few minutes."

"Take your time," suggested Harry with a smirk, "and you'll only have to buy one ticket."

Harry nodded towards the alley and moved his right fingertips in a walking motion over the top of his other age spotted hand.

"Harry," warned Heyes with an edge to his voice. "You better be right here when I get back..."

Harry's mouth opened in surprise.

"You're serious?" interrupted Harry.

"Attorney Hale set up your parole and I promised to keep track of your whereabouts," answered Heyes. "If you disappear, he and I both get in trouble with the law."

"I told you, I don't want to go with you," protested Harry. "There's other places I'd rather be than your backwater town."

"Like prison?" asked Heyes.

"You wouldn't!" spluttered Harry in indignation.

"I would," stated Heyes firmly.

"This is kidnapping!"

"Oh no Harry," grinned Heyes with a gleam to his eye, "Kidnapping is taking someone away illegally. Taking you to Thunder Ridge is all legal and above board."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	2. Old Enemies?

Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.

A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate. Story exists in the same No Amnesty - Smith and Jones story verse as previous stories.

Old Enemies?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"We'll be in Porterville this evening and get a room at the hotel for tonight," informed Heyes as they boarded the train. "Then we can ride into Thunder Ridge in the morning."

"Just let me go," urged Wagener again.

"Can't do that Harry," smiled Heyes.

It wasn't until they were actually seated and the engine was pulling out of the station that Wagener spoke again. The first words out of Harry's mouth weren't the recriminations that Heyes had braced himself for, but something worse. A question.

"That young fella, Attorney Hale," began Wagener, "is he related to you?"

Heyes pretended to think. The smooth talker wanted a moment before answering.

"Related?" dissembled Heyes. "What makes you ask that?"

"Mainly the way he talked about you, Ki-," Wagener paused a moment, then tried again. "The way he talked about you, Thaddeus Jones and Thunder Ridge. Like he knows you."

"Well he ought to talk like he knows us," Heyes grinned, dimples deepening as he began his spiel. Of course he wasn't going to tell Harry everything. "Attorney Hale's been coming to Thunder Ridge every summer for the last… oh… six… maybe seven years…"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 _Thunder Ridge never got a telegraph office, but by 1895 the small town had two telephones. The one at the doctor's office was hardly ever used. The other, in the central hall of Mrs. Henderson's boarding house, was answered any time of night or day. It was barely five in the morning on an early day in May when someone pounded on the Smith family's front door._

" _What?" mumbled Heyes. "Who's knocking? The roosters aren't even up yet!"_

 _"_ _Tell 'em to go away," murmured Clem sleepily._

 _The tiny brunette snuggled closer to Heyes, placing her small hand across his chest. The loud knocking continued. Little Arthur sat up in the trundle and started babbling._

 _"_ _Da… da… da…" gurgled the happy one year old._

 _The boy pulled himself upwards and reached for his father's face. Tiny little fingers tugged on Heyes' dark brown sideburns while the pounding continued to reverberate through the small home. Heyes groaned. Clem's sure hand reached for her dressing gown._

 _"_ _I'll get Arthur's diaper," yawned Clem. "You get whoever's at the door."_

 _"_ _I'll get 'em all right," grumbled Heyes, sounding every bit as threatening as the outlaw he had once been._

 _Heyes sat up._ _The narrow hipped librarian fumbled for his trousers and slipped them on. Heyes buttoned his pants as he trudged towards the noise. The knocking continued even louder._

" _Just a minute, just a minute," protested Heyes._

 _Their cozy set of rooms above the library opened onto a central stairwell. Pulling back the heavy oak door, Heyes found himself staring at one of Mrs. Henderson's many grandsons. The yawning boy held a scrunched up piece of paper._

" _Gramma said to tell you she's sorry," mumbled the boy as he thrust the paper into Heyes' hands and disappeared back down the stairs._

" _Sorry? About what?" Heyes blinked and looked at the barely legible scribbling. "Train derailed north of Central Springs. Attorney and Mrs. Hale both killed. Sent for… Funeral on the fifteenth. Mal…"_

" _Joshua," called Clem's soft voice. "What's wrong?"_

 _Heyes turned to see his wife. Clem leaned against the door frame holding Arthur. Bare toes peeked out from beneath the embroidered purple silk of her robe. The dark haired infant had his pudgy fingers tangled in Clem's long hair._

" _Clem," replied Heyes holding out the note, "I'm sorry. There's been an accident…"_

 _He hadn't seen Clem move that fast in years. In a moment, Arthur had been thrust into his arms and Clem was reading the note while the baby continued to play with her hair._

" _We'll have to go to Central Springs right away," murmured Clem. She bit her bottom lip, thinking out loud. "I can't believe Charles and Deanna are both gone! Malcolm has sent to Boston… but it's so far away, it will take time… "_

" _Who?" interrupted Heyes in a sharp tone. He jiggled their son on his hip and tried to disengage the child's fingers from Clem's hair. "Who are you talking about?"_

 _Clem lifted tear filled eyes to meet his gaze. Heyes plucked the last strands of her dark hair from Arthur's grasp. The child reached for Heyes' sideburns once more._

" _My cousin Charles and his wife were killed in the accident," answered Clem, sounding puzzled, "Or were you asking who called? That would be Malcolm, my cousin's partner."_

" _The woman's name," nudged Heyes._

 _He hesitated, not quite sure he had heard Clem properly. Heyes vaguely remembered Clem mentioning a cousin in Colorado, but thought they weren't close. Heyes hadn't met him and didn't remember anything about the cousin having a wife._

 _"I thought you said…"_

" _Deanna," stated Clem quite clearly._

 _Her puzzled expression gone, Clem's chin jutted out defiantly. Heyes' dark brown eyes narrowed._

" _Kid's Deanna?" asked Heyes. His nostrils flared. "Deanna from Wildwood?"_

 _Clem pursed her lips before answering._

" _Deanna from Wildwood, yes," agreed Clem. "But I think Deanna would have said she was her own person, not Kid's, nor Charles', her own self."_

" _How could you not have told me_ _?" demanded Heyes._

 _Clem jumped a little at his harsh tone. The baby in his arms stopped playing with his whiskers and looked up, bottom lip trembling._

 _"_ _Not so loud," admonished Clem as she reached for the boy, "you'll frighten Arthur."_

 _"You told me you knew where Deanna had gone," reminded Heyes in a low hiss, "that she'd married a man who took the child as his own."_

" _Yes," agreed Clem. She turned her back on Heyes and jiggled the baby in her arms. Heyes watched as his son's lips started to curl up in a smile. "That's right."_

" _You never told me that the man was your cousin!"_

 _Nearly eighteen years earlier, Clem tried tears to induce Heyes to sit with Kid in front of a photographer. When her tears didn't work, she'd coerced him with the need to provide a picture for Deanna's child. Heyes still remembered his surprise at seeing the photograph of Deanna and a curly haired toddler. Clem's whispered words "if something… well… something bad happens… the boy should know what his father looked like" sealed their fate in front of the photographer._

 _"You didn't ask," reminded Clem. "Besides, it_ _wasn't my secret to tell!"_

 _"_ _Clem!"_

 _The tiny brunette spun around, tears streaming down her face while she continued to jiggle little Arthur._

" _Heyes, don't you think I wanted to tell Jed?" demanded Clem. "To tell you!"_

 _It was a sign of her distress that she used the partner's real names. Clem rarely slipped. Heyes swallowed as he recognized her pain. He might not have known her cousin Charles, but the man and Deanna were family to his wife._

" _Clem," began Heyes in a softer tone._

 _The dark haired man held out his arms, stepping closer, only to be stopped by a tiny palm planted firmly on his chest. A reddened nose snuffled as Clem tried to get her emotions under control._

" _I'll start packing, Joshua," whispered his ever practical wife as she reverted to using his alias once more. "Go get Thaddeus. We can finish arguing on the train."_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"The boy has dimples and brown hair like you," prodded Wagener.

The parolee coughed wetly into a handkerchief held against his lips. Heyes glanced to one side. Outside the train, sagebrush streamed by, assorted rocks and boulders leaped into view for a moment, then disappeared. When Wagener quit coughing, Heyes turned back to face the man. The reformed outlaw tried to keep his tone light as he answered the unspoken question.

"My understanding is Attorney Hale looks mostly like his mother, she had wavy brown hair," chuckled Heyes.

The Kansan didn't mention that Riordan got the dimples from his grandfather and great-grandfather. Uncle Owen and Heyes' mother both inherited their dimpled smiles from Grampa Curry. The young lawyer's blue eyes came directly from Kid, courtesy of Aunt Mary.

"And Attorney Hale looks younger than he is," continued Heyes over the rackety sound of the locomotive. "I don't know anyone that calls him a boy anymore."

"Everybody looks younger and younger these days," groused Wagener. Harry arched one eyebrow upwards. "You knew the boy's mother?"

"Attorney Hale is a distant cousin to my wife," dissembled Heyes. Then, because the best cover stories always have a bit of truth in them, the genius added, "I first met him after his parent's funeral."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 _Kid didn't come with them to Central Springs. When Heyes made his way up the hillside to the Jones' cabin, he was stopped before he got past the woodpile._

 _"_ _Don't come any closer," ordered Matt. Kid's tall blonde wife paced the front porch patting a curly blonde bundle. "Eliza is covered in little red bumps."_

 _Young Doctor Abernathy had been unusually busy this spring. An outbreak of chickenpox at the surrounding ranches made its way to Thunder Ridge. Kid and Matt's oldest daughter probably caught the virus at school._

 _"_ _Actually," called Heyes, "I came to speak to Kid…"_

 _"_ _No," objected Matt, shaking her head for emphasis. "Thaddeus and Hannah are both running a temperature too."_

 _"_ _Kid? I thought adults didn't get chickenpox," replied Heyes in dismay._

 _The woman's blue eyes gave a mild glare of reproach at Heyes' slip._

 _"_ _If an adult has already had chickenpox, they usually won't get it again," explained Matt, sounding as if she was reciting something she'd memorized. "But I guess Thaddeus hasn't had it before. What about you?"_

 _Heyes shrugged. He couldn't remember if he'd ever had chickenpox or not._

 _"_ _I had chickenpox when I was a little girl, so I should be fine and able to care for them," continued Matt. With a glance at the baby in her arms, she added, "Jennifer hasn't got a temperature yet. Maybe we'll be lucky and she won't get it."_

 _The Kansan exhaled in frustration. Heyes needed to talk to his partner in private, not shout a conversation out loud where anyone could hear. But if Kid was ill, he wouldn't be able to travel. This difficult conversation would have to wait._

 _"_ _Would you tell Thaddeus we're going to Central Springs?" asked Heyes. "There's been an accident. Clem's cousin and his wife were killed by a train derailment."_

 _Heyes found there were several advantages to travelling with his wife and baby boy. The ticket master didn't look at him suspiciously when he asked about a sleeper berth. And without his partner along, Heyes and Clem finished arguing sooner. They both took their time with the important business of making up._

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"You're married?"

Heyes arched an eyebrow upwards at Harry's tone. An unexpected jolt caused the two men to bump shoulders.

"Try not to sound so surprised," replied Heyes. "Yes, I finally found the right woman and settled down. Kid's married too."

"You're both married," repeated Wagener slowly. He shook his silvered head in astonishment. "Your wife is related to Attorney Hale, and… that young whippersnapper has been an attorney for at least six or seven years."

"Attorney Hale hasn't been licensed to practice law for that long," corrected Heyes. "When I first met him, he was a law student."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 _Although there were advantages to travelling with your wife and baby boy, it had its own share of problems too, thought Heyes sourly. No bounty hunters on this trip to Colorado, but diapers. Plenty of diapers. He tried not to breathe as he changed his son. They'd been greeted by Charles' partner when they arrived late last night. Exhausted, they had gone directly to bed. Clem tiptoed out of their room early this morning to go with Malcolm to meet the train from Boston. Heyes fastened the last pin on his squirming son's diaper when he heard the front door open._

 _"_ _Let's take you to see your Mama and cousin," suggested Heyes. The baby cooed in agreement. "And then we can all figure out how we're gonna tell Kid."_

 _Picking up Arthur, Heyes made his way into the front parlor. Clem draped her lace shawl over the hook on the hall tree. She touched one hand to her hair, before seeing them in the mirror's reflection. A smile lit up her face. Clem turned as a tall teenage boy stalked into the room. Heyes sucked in a deep breath as he recognized Kid's gait. Bright blue eyes locked with Heyes' own dark brown._

 _"_ _Are you the outlaw that's supposed to be my father?" sneered the gangly, long limbed youth._

 _Heyes glanced at Clem. The bright smile that she saved just for him was gone. In its place was a worried frown. Her look, a silent plea, reminded Heyes that this angry young man had just lost the only parents he'd ever known._

 _"_ _Actually," answered Heyes with a soft tone, "I'm your cousin."_

 _"_ _Another cousin!" snorted the stripling in derision._

 _The look of disdain he directed at Clem made Heyes' blood boil. An older man entered the parlor. Heyes recognized Malcolm. The gray haired man held a black derby by its rim. Malcolm twisted the hat nervously round and round in his hands._

 _"_ _Riordan," chided Malcolm, "remember your manners."_

 _The young man had the grace to blush. Heyes blinked to hear the familiar name, Kid's middle name, Grampa Curry's name. Heyes had been totally surprised when Clem told him the boy's name. Heyes had never heard Deanna call his partner by anything other than Kid._

 _"_ _You've had a long, tiring journey," began Clem in an effort to sooth ruffled sensibilities. "Why don't you lay down for a rest before supper? Tomorrow, after the funeral services, we can discuss Charles' will and…"_

 _"_ _I'm not going back with you to live with that outlaw!" huffed Riordan._

 _The tall youth tossed his own straw boater, bound with a wide black ribbon, on the settee. Riordan tugged impatiently at the tie around his throat crinkling the pointed tips of his starched white collar._

 _"_ _Charles mortgaged the home to pay for your tuition," reminded Malcolm. "I'm not a licensed attorney. Without him, the bank will foreclose on the house, the law office closes, there's no income to pay for anything, the mortgage, next year's tuition…"_

 _"_ _Then I won't finish school!" snapped Riordan._

 _Long legs strode past Heyes. The nineteen year old stomped up the stairs leaving Heyes, Clem and Malcolm looking at each other in dismay. Little Arthur was the only one unperturbed by Riordan's outburst._

 _"_ _Ma ma ma," babbled the child, reaching for Clem._

 _The tiny woman came over to stand in front of Heyes. Tears glistened in her hazel eyes. She leaned in against Heyes' chest. The baby patted her cheek._

 _"_ _He's so angry," whispered Clem._

 _Heyes remembered other angry boys. He and Jed had been younger when they lost their families, but the heartache never really went away._

 _"He's not listening…"_

 _"What?" asked Heyes._

 _"He didn't believe us at first. Said his mother wouldn't have anything to do with criminals," replied Clem pressing closer, her lips only a breath away from Heyes' ears. "If Deanna hadn't left that letter for him, I don't think…"_

 _Riordan had grown up an adored only child and had been genuinely shocked to find out that Charles was not his biological father._

 _"We can't force him to meet Kid," sighed Heyes."If he doesn't want to come to Thunder Ridge, he doesn't have to."_

 _"_ _You've got to do something," urged Clem._ _"Use that silver tongue to convince him! He's got to come home! Riordan has no place else to go."_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Good to have a lawyer in the family," replied Wagener with a facetious tone, "considering your line of work."

"Former. We don't do that anymore," reminded Heyes, feeling suddenly tense. He flashed a tight smile. "Remember, my partner and I tried telling you that the last time we met."

Beside him, the silver haired man settled back on the seat cushions and tilted a hat, twenty years out of style, over his eyes.

"Attorney R. Everett Hale," chuckled Wagener. Lips curled up in a devilish smile. "Wonder what the R stands for."

"Probably something highfalutin like Reginald or Royce," snickered Heyes in an attempt to mislead.

"Or maybe Riordan," suggested Wagener in a sly tone. "I woulda thought you might know that name, being related and all."

Dark brown eyes snapped alert. Riordan wouldn't have told a prisoner his first name. How had Harry known? Heyes throat felt tight. He leaned sideways, lips close to Harry's ear.

"What made you say that name?" demanded Heyes.

Harry hesitated before answering.

"When that young lawyer fella first started talking about parole and Thunder Ridge, I did my research," smiled Harry, words sliding over his lips in a sibilant slither. "If I've got to spend the next six months at Thunder Ridge, I wanna make it worthwhile."

"Research? Research for what?" demanded Heyes. "What crazy scheme are you cooking up now?"

"One last score," smiled Harry. The hat barely moved as he breathed the words. "I've got plans. One last score and then I'll retire. Someplace warm, maybe Mexico. I hear Santa Marta is nice this time of year."

"You can't pull a job in Thunder Ridge!"

"Not by myself," agreed Wagener, his lips curled up in a roguish smirk. "But together we can."

"You know Harry," seethed Heyes, biting the words out, "Kid didn't want me bringing you back to Thunder Ridge. He's still a bit sore about the whole kidnapping and threatening to kill him business that you pulled twenty years ago. I'm beginnin' to think he was right."

"Joshua," whispered Wagener, in a mocking tone, faking dismay, "surely you're not gonna hold a grudge over a little thing like that now. Especially since you've all but kidnapped me yourself."

"Not a grudge, just not gonna help you out," responded Heyes. "What possible _incentive_ is there for me to help you this time?"

"Gems," replied Harry with a gleaming smile. "Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires. Did you know that attorney fella paid for law school with gems? And I'm sure they came from Thunder Ridge."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	3. Old Heartaches

Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.

A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate. Story exists in the same No Amnesty - Smith and Jones story verse as previous stories.

Chapter 3 – Old Heartaches

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Gems?" echoed Heyes with a tone of wry amusement. Trying to deflect the unrepentant rogue, Heyes continued, "Harry, I don't know where you got that idea, but the only mine in Thunder Ridge is a played out gold mine."

"That's what Attorney Hale wants you to think," smiled Wagener.

That's what Heyes would like him to think too. Kid wasn't going to be happy when he heard about Wagener's latest get rich quick scheme. The corundum running through the played out mine was supposed to be a secret. The silver haired man yawned, sprawling his legs haphazardly as he slid down the seat cushion.

"Now hush up and lemme sleep."

"Sleep?" asked Heyes. "You're gonna take a nap in the middle of the day?"

"Yeah, travel wears me out. I'm tired," coughed Harry. His chest heaved with the exertion. "I'm getting old you know."

"Everybody gets tired from travelling Harry," objected Heyes. "You're not old. Now Silky on the other hand, ninety-six is getting up there, but he's still as spry and feisty…"

The sound of a faint snore stopped Heyes. He shook his head in amazement.

"I only know two other people that could fall asleep quicker," murmured Heyes.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 _A week after the funeral, the Smith family left Central Springs with Riordan and Malcolm. It was late evening when the tired travelers arrived back at Thunder Ridge. Little Arthur was fussy, rubbing his eyes, fighting sleep._

" _We'll go see Thaddeus in the morning," smiled Clem._

 _The tiny brunette handed Arthur to Heyes, then disappeared into the bedroom. She returned carrying bedrolls for Riordan and Malcolm. The withdrawn teenager had finally consented to come to Thunder Ridge. Heyes didn't know what the older man had said to the boy, but was glad to have Malcolm's support. Riordan spread his pallet between the sofa and the window, unlaced his black ankle high shoes and laid down. Clem retrieved Arthur and left Heyes standing beside Malcolm._

" _After breakfast," added Heyes._

 _The dark haired Kansan started to say something more, but the soft sounds of snoring came from Riordan's form. Brown eyes started in amazement._

" _He's always been that way," chuckled Malcolm. "He can sleep anywhere, anytime."_

" _I know someone like that," replied Heyes._

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was mid-afternoon the next day when Heyes reined in the buggy on the crest of Thunder Ridge. After a long bumpy train ride and an even rougher night in the Porterville Palace Hotel listening to Wagener cough, Heyes was ready to go home, but he needed to lay down some rules for the man seated beside him.

"I'm Joshua Smith," reminded Heyes, "and Kid is Thaddeus Jones."

"Do people really believe that?" scoffed Wagener with a disdainful sniff.

"Yeah," replied Heyes with a smirk. "This place is just right for us. The first time we came here, there were only four buildings, Mrs. Henderson's boarding house, the Cole's home, Uriah's livery, and Clarence Jones' cabin."

"Another Jones?" mocked Wagener.

"That's the beauty of living here," answered Heyes. "Clarence Jones used to ride with the Devil's Hole Gang. And he was a founding member of this town. Everybody knew him as Thaddeus' uncle and we belong here. We're right where we ought to be, with family and friends."

A glance across the small valley brought a true smile to his face. The inviting little town below centered on a picturesque garden square. Heyes and Kid planted the evergreen, now grown huge, that the townsfolk decorated every Christmas. The undertaker's home was built by the second year the partners wintered with Clarence. More homes, a school, a library, a church, and a small general store followed in due course.

"How long have you lived here?" asked Harry.

"We started coming here almost twenty years ago, but we didn't settle in permanent until later," replied Heyes. Slender fingers rubbed his chin as Heyes thought for a moment. "It has to be at least fourteen years now."

"Going straight seems to be have worked out alright for you boys," conceded Harry.

"It wasn't that simple," responded Heyes. "Going straight is a lot of hard work!"

"And you think I'm gonna fit in here?" taunted Wagener.

"Just like in one of Silky's cons," directed Heyes. "you've got a role to play."

"What's my role?" asked Wagener suspiciously.

"We've told everyone that you're another one of Kid's uncles from his mother's side of the family," grinned Heyes. "You're the one no one likes to talk about, the black sheep of the family."

Wagener arched one eyebrow.

"Black sheep?" questioned the scoundrel. "What am I supposed to have done?"

"You robbed the First National Bank, deceived two innocent women and led them astray," smirked Heyes. "And we mighta given the impression there were a few other things that we couldn't possibly talk about."

Wagener's lips crinkled up in a disgruntled frown.

"Robbing the bank was Janet's idea," groused Harry.

"I know, and it was Lorraine killed that man," said Heyes softly. "Harry, why didn't you tell the law all that? You wouldn't have been sentenced to twenty years."

Harry's jaw quivered, and his eyes glistened, but he didn't answer. Heyes knew. A person would do just about anything to protect someone he loved.

"Just understand," spelled out Heyes, "if you do happen to slip up, no one's gonna believe a convicted felon over two respectable town citizens."

"Respectable?" snorted Wagener. "That's ironic coming from you! You and Kid…"

"Robbed banks and trains," interrupted Heyes. "We even pointed guns at people to hurry them along, frightened a lot of folks. But we never kidnapped anyone, and we never threatened to kill anyone!"

"Kid…"

"Is not a killer. He's so fast and accurate he doesn't need to kill to stop someone!" challenged Heyes. "Do you know anyone that Kid Curry actually killed?"

Heyes took off his hat and wiped the sleeve of his jacket across his forehead. Kid Curry had a reputation as a fast draw, and he'd been blamed for deaths, like Harry was blamed for the man Lorraine killed. It wasn't until they were trying for amnesty that Thaddeus Jones had been forced into a showdown that left Danny Bilson bleeding out on a dusty street in Matherville.

"As long as you don't hurt anyone," continued Heyes as he donned his hat again, "you can go pretty much anywhere you want, do whatever you want, even go looking for gemstones if you feel like it. Just don't cause any trouble."

Wagener frowned for a moment. Then his lips turned up in a self-satisfied smile.

"There's a flaw in your brilliant plan Heyes," objected Wagener in a gloating tone. "If I'm supposed to be related to Kid, why did you bring me here? Why didn't Kid bring me?"

"You'll see," replied Heyes with a smug look. "I'm sure you'll agree that we've got a good enough reason."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 _In the morning, Clem and Heyes were both up early. As he buttoned his black shirt, Heyes couldn't tell if his wife was more nervous than he was or not. Riordan was still sleeping, and surprisingly enough, so was Arthur. Malcolm offered to watch both boys while Clem and Heyes went to speak with Kid._

" _Welcome back," greeted Matt with a broad smile. The skirts of her pale blue dress brushed against the door as she opened it wider. "Where's Arthur? Did you leave him with Jenny?"_

 _Without stopping for an answer, the tall blonde turned and moved further inside the cabin. Heyes nearly stepped on the bustle of Clem's black mourning dress as he followed his wife. On the center of the dining table, fragrant lily of the valley spilled over the edges of a narrow vase. Two rag dolls and a teddy bear sat atop the trunk in the corner._

" _Coffee's almost ready," beckoned Matt._

" _How's Kid?" asked Heyes as he and Clem neared the stove. "And the girls?"_

 _The soft sound of boots on a wooden floor caused Heyes to turn. Kid, clad in blue jeans, gun belt around his waist, and buttoning the cuffs of his white shirt, stepped out of the bedroom in time to hear Heyes' question._

" _We're all fine," answered Kid as he padded quietly across the room. With a nod to the other bedroom, the muscular blond added, "but the girls are still asleep, so lower your voice."_

" _Sorry…," started Heyes, but Kid stepped even closer and enveloped Clem in a huge hug._

" _I'm sorry for your cousin's passing," murmured Kid. "If there is anything I can do…"_

 _Clem pushed against Kid's arms, freeing herself. She tilted her head and gazed upwards at her long-time friend. His wife batted her eyelashes rapidly noted Heyes. The nervous habit was one of her tells, and it usually meant trouble._

" _Actually," smiled Clem, "I think it's more of what we can do for each other."_

" _Huh?" Kid looked puzzled._

" _There is somebody you need to meet," continued Clem. Her lips trembled for a moment, then she blurted out the story of Deanna and Charles in a hurried rush, ending with, "And I couldn't tell you before."_

 _Heyes watched Kid's face carefully. His partner seemed frozen. Matt moved away from the stove, circling the table to stand beside her husband. The tall Texan wrapped one arm around Kid's waist. It was a moment before Kid spoke._

" _Nearly twenty years?" asked Kid, his voice low and quiet. "And you knew all this time?"_

" _Thaddeus, don't blame Clem," interjected Heyes, "Deanna and Charles made Clem promise not to tell."_

" _You knew too?" Kid's voice dropped even lower, cold and hard._

" _Not at first!" answered Clem before Heyes could open his mouth. "Don't be angry with Joshua. I never told him who she married, I never told him the boy's name."_

 _Heyes kept his eyes on his partner. Steely blue eyes stared straight into Heyes. The only sign that Kid even heard Clem's words was a slight blink at the words "the boy"._

" _How long have you known?" demanded Kid._

" _Well Kid," replied Heyes with a smirk, trying to make a joke to ease the tension, "you didn't really think I sat in front of a photographer just because Clem shed a few tears now. Did you?"_

 _There was a moment when Heyes was sure his partner was going to flatten him. Kid loomed big and tall and angry, but silent. Kid didn't say a word. The blond spun on his heels and stalked out of the room, leaving the cabin door swinging on its hinges. Clem sighed, and sagged back against Heyes._

" _That went better than I expected," murmured Clem in relief._

 _But Heyes watched his partner's departure and shook his head. The last time he had tried to talk to Kid about Deanna, his partner had rounded on him with a fierce "I said we ain't talking about this anymore!" Heyes rubbed his jaw at the memory._

" _I would rather have had him flatten me," stated Heyes._

" _Get out!"_

" _What?" Heyes turned to see Matt glaring at him._

" _Both of you! Get out! I can't believe you two! What reason would ever be good enough for you to keep that from him?" seethed Matt. "You're supposed to be his partner! His best friends! His family! He trusted you!"_

" _Matt," protested Heyes._

 _Kid's wife hadn't met the partners until they were trying for amnesty. Although her first husband had also been an outlaw, Jake Tattersall pretended to be a railroad agent. She really didn't have a clue as to what outlaw life was like._

" _It was 1875," tried Heyes, "lawmen, Pinkerton agents, Bannerman detectives, bounty hunters…"_

" _Deanna said not telling Kid would keep him from getting killed," interrupted Clem. "I would do it again if I had to."_

 _For a moment, Matt stood, lips quivering, unshed tears shone in her eyes. Then her jaw hardened._

" _No! Get out, and don't come back until Thaddeus invites you back!"_

 _The broom convinced Heyes and Clem that Matt was serious. Outside, Clem turned to her husband._

" _Go find Kid," directed Clem. "I'll get Riordan."_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Thaddeus and his family live in this cabin," explained Heyes.

They had left the buggy at the livery. Together the two men climbed up the steep trail. Heyes held out his arm, Wagener grasped it as the younger man gave a slight tug to help him upwards.

"And I'll be staying with them?" huffed Wagener.

"No," replied Heyes. A slender hand pointed at the trail past the cabin, leading further up the ridge. "You'll be staying in the bunkhouse with…"

"Are you trying to kill me?" wheezed Wagener. "Isn't there any other way to get there? I can't walk that far!"

"We'll stop at the cabin and let you rest a bit," replied Heyes.

Brown eyes narrowed with worry. Harry had been hacking and coughing ever since Heyes had greeted him outside the prison. As they neared the Jones' cabin, a tall figure appeared on the other side of the woodpile. The lower part of her form was blocked from view. Wearing a worn brown jacket, a floppy brown hat and lugging a heavy laden basket, Heyes recognized her instantly.

"Is that Kid?" commented Wagener squinting in the bright sunlight. "Almost looks like him."

"That ain't Kid," replied Heyes.

He hurried forward.

"Matt what do you think you're doing? You know you're not supposed to be lifting anything heavy!"

The woman turned at his approach. A long wavy blonde tendril escaped from beneath her hat and dangled down past her shoulder. Matt stepped into view. The statuesque woman was obviously in the last stages of pregnancy.

"Let me take that for you," offered Heyes. "Where's Kid?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 _It wasn't hard to find his partner. Heyes just followed the sounds of gunfire. He stopped at the tree line to watch. Kid holstered the Colt and slowly walked over to the fence railing. Targets were blown to smithereens. Instead of replacing the bottles and cans, Kid rested his forearms on the top railing and stared across the valley at the mountain ridge. Heyes hadn't nerved himself up to face Kid before Clem and Riordan arrived. The youth shot a glare at Heyes and kept on walking. Heyes started to follow, but Clem grabbed him by the elbow._

" _No," whispered Clem._

 _The skinny teen, wearing a black suit with a four inch wide mourning band around his sleeve, didn't stop until he reached the fence. Heyes leaned forward to hear them._

" _Cousin Clem sent me," stated Riordan in his clipped citified accents._

" _She would," acknowledged Kid._

 _The tall forty year old blond man shifted his stance. Kid still appeared to be staring across the meadow, but the barest movement of Kid's neck told Heyes his partner was watching the boy. Riordan appeared to be staring straight ahead at the mountains._

" _You're not my father," asserted Riordan, his jawline tensing as if he expected an argument._

" _Nope," agreed Kid. "The man your mother married had that privilege."_

 _Riordan's blue eyes blinked in surprise. Beside him, Clem clutched Heyes arm, digging her fingers through the fabric._

" _Of course you should know that it wasn't 'cause I didn't want to be your pa," added Kid in a gruff voice._

" _Kid Curry, desperado, wanted dead or alive, the fastest gun in the west," grumbled the youth._

 _Heyes turned to Clem. The hazel eyed brunette shook her head. Whatever Riordan had heard, hadn't come from her, hadn't come from Heyes, and he didn't think it came from Malcolm. Charles' partner had been insistent that the boy needed to meet Kid. Heyes and Clem hadn't said much to Riordan thinking it better to let the boy form his own opinions._

" _There was a faded wanted poster and a bunch of newspaper clippings in a box of my mother's," snarled Riordan. "I never even heard of Kid Curry until ten days ago."_

 _Kid looked stunned at the boy's vehement tone, but he didn't say anything to defend himself._

 _"Kid Curry ain't exactly the kind of person you wanna introduce to folks," Kid replied with a shaky attempt at a smile. "I use the name Thaddeus Jones these days."_

" _It's sort of hard to go from thinking I'm the son of a respectable attorney and his wife," continued the sullen teen, "and then get used to the idea of being the son of an outlaw and a whore..."_

 _Heyes winced at the boy's words. Clem gasped. Kid's strong arm shot out, grabbed the boy by his shoulder and pulled him around to stand facing Kid. The sinewy shootist looked dangerous, every inch the bad man and outlaw that Kid Curry was reputed to be._

" _You can say whatever you want about me," growled Kid, "but don't you ever speak like that about your mother. Have a little respect!"_

" _Respect?" Riordan's voice rang out in disbelief._

" _Deanna had a hard life, a lotta hard choices that you don't know nothin' about," Kid's low voice continued. "She brought you into this world!"_

" _She was stuck with me!" objected Riordan. "And used me to get my fath…"_

 _The boy's voice stumbled, but then he started again._

" _She used me to get a better life for herself…"_

" _No!" insisted Kid forcefully. "She coulda chose to not have you, or sent you to an orphanage. Some women do. But she chose to raise you. Deanna wanted you, and wanted you to have a good life, more than anything. Remember that!"_

 _Heyes swallowed. His normally reticent partner seldom made speeches. And he couldn't tell how Riordan was taking this one. The adolescent rolled his shoulder. Kid released his grip on the boy as suddenly as he had grabbed him. The curly brown haired young man's jaw clenched tight as he stared at the reformed outlaw._

" _How would you know?" hissed the youth. "How would you know anything about what my mother wanted?"_

 _Kid looked away for a minute before speaking again. He exhaled a deep shuddering breath._

" _Because I asked her," answered Kid so softly that Heyes could barely hear him._

 _Man and boy faced each other for a moment in total silence._

" _Now I'm gonna ask you something almost the same," offered Kid in a low voice, "is there anything you want or need from me? Is there anything I can do to help?_

" _You don't have anything I want or need," sniffed Riordan in disdain. "I don't know why Malcolm said I should meet you, that I might learn something from you. One thing's for sure, I'm not going to learn how to shoot a pistol!"_

 _The teen sounded like a petulant child. Kid's lips curled up in a smile._

" _Good," nodded Kid in agreement, "because I'm sure your mother didn't raise you to be an outlaw."_

 _The boy's shoulders slumped._

" _No, she wanted me to be a lawyer, like my fath…," the boy stopped speaking._

" _Like your father," finished Kid softly. "It's alright to want to be just like your father. Or if you've got other ideas, that's okay too."_

 _Heyes noted the relieved expression on Riordan's face at Kid's words. His partner's recognition of the boy's loyalty to the parents that raised him seemed to lift a burden._

" _Yeah, I wanted to be an attorney, like my father," replied Riordan. His face fell. "But that's not gonna happen now."_

" _Why not?" challenged Kid. "Aren't you any good at book learning?"_

 _Shoulders squared. The boy straightened upright._

" _First in my class," huffed Riordan proudly, then he deflated, shoulders slumped again. "But there's no money for tuition. And if I don't go back in the fall, I lose my place at school."_

" _We've got all summer to work on it then," encouraged Kid._

" _Do you have any idea how much law school costs?" squawked the adolescent._

" _No," admitted Kid, "but I know a man can do a whole lot more than he thinks he can if he has a good enough reason."_

 _Heyes felt a small hand tug on his jacket. He looked down to see Kid and Matt's oldest daughter. Six year old Eliza had only a few faint red marks across her nose to show for her recent bout with chickenpox._

" _Josh'a," informed little Eliza, "Mama sent me to find Papa, it's time for breakfast."_

 _"Your Papa is over there, talking," pointed Heyes._

 _The child released_ _her grip on Heyes' jacket and strode towards Kid and Riordan. The little blonde girl came up and tugged on Kid's shirt sleeve._

" _Mama said to tell you it's time for breakfast," informed Eliza._

 _Kid gave his daughter a gentle smile. The child looked up at the tall student standing beside her father. The teen stared in shock. Heyes exchanged a glance with Clem. She shook her head again. Neither of them had told Riordan about his sisters._

 _"I haven't seen you here before, but you_ _can come too," invited Eliza. "Mama says we can always make room for more."_

 _The dark haired boy looked at Eliza in confusion._

 _"He's your father?" the teen's voice rose higher in surprise._

 _Eliza's blue eyes rolled. The child shook her head emphatically._

 _"He's Papa," answered the curly haired blonde, in a tone than indicated the boy should have known such a basic fact. "I'm Eliza. Who are you?"_

 _"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" asked the youth._

 _"I've told Mama and Papa I need a baby brother," sighed Eliza, "but so far all I've got is Hannah and Jennifer."_

 _"Three sisters?"_

 _"Can't you count?" asked Eliza. "I learned my numbers all the way to a hunert. I have two sisters, Hannah and Jennifer."_

 _The child shook her head in compassion, and then reiterated her invitation._

 _"Now do you want breakfast? Or not?"_

 _The teen looked from_ _Eliza to Kid for confirmation. Kid nodded._

 _"I'd like that," agreed the youth. "I haven't eaten breakfast yet."_

 _"What's your name?" asked the child again._

" _Riordan Everett Hale," answered the youth. With an elaborate, formal bow, Riordan bent over and extended his hand to the curly haired blonde. "At your service, milady. May I escort you to breakfast?_

 _Eliza giggled at the funny talk, but she accepted his hand. Together, the pair started back towards the cabin. Heyes and Clem walked over to Kid, who stood still, staring after the tall law student walking with his daughter._

" _Riordan?" repeated Kid, his face showing his astonishment. A huge smile lit up his face. "Deanna named him Riordan."_

" _Kid, how did Deanna know your middle name? Grampa's name?" asked Heyes._

 _Kid's blue eyes blinked. His gaze settled on Heyes and Clem. For a moment, Heyes thought his partner was going to be angry again, but then Kid smiled._

" _Heyes, we knew each other for three years," reminded Kid with a chuckle. "We did talk!"_

 _Clem stepped closer, so close her voluminous skirts brushed against Kid's legs._

" _Jed, keeping the secret was meant to keep Deanna safe, keep Riordan safe, keep you safe," cajoled Clem. "We never meant to hurt you."_

 _Clem placed a small hand against Kid's chest and looked up at him beseechingly._

 _"Please don't be angry with us."_

 _Kid's blue eyes regarded his long time friend._

 _"She's doing the eyelash thing again," grumbled Kid with a glance at Heyes._

 _"Yeah," nodded Heyes._ _"She does that on purpose."_

 _"The only thing worse is tears," replied Kid with a long suffering sigh. "And I can't stay angry on an empty stomach."_

 _"Does that mean you forgive us?"_

 _Kid hesitated a moment before answering, and Heyes held his breath._

" _Are there any other secrets that I should know about?" demanded Kid._

 _There was a smile on his face, but there was an underlying edge to Kid's question. Clem shook her head left to right emphatically. It was Heyes' turn to hesitate._

" _I'm not telling you about your birthday gift," dissembled Heyes. "You're gonna have to wait three months to find that out."_

 _Kid laughed._

 _"You know I can't stay mad at either one of you for too long," conceded Kid._

 _Kid grabbed Clem around the waist with one long arm and wrapped the other around Heyes' shoulder._

" _Come on let's go have breakfast," urged Kid. "And then you might oughta have Doc Abernathy look at you Heyes. That red spot on your chin sure looks like chickenpox."_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The tall blonde woman smiled gratefully as Heyes pushed open the door. Matt entered and sat down in the rocking chair by the fireplace. Wagener followed, then Heyes came into the big front room carrying the basket of leaf lettuce, onions, tiny carrots and new spring peas. Heyes' sharp ears listened as he carried the basket into the kitchen.

"You must be Harry Wagener," deduced Matt.

"Yes Ma'am," nodded the scalawag as his avaricious eyes roamed the cozy room. "It sure looks like you and Kid are doing pretty well for yourselves."

"Thaddeus," reminded Matt firmly.

The front room had changed several times since Heyes had first seen the cabin as a one room bachelor's abode. Kid had added a separate bedroom when he and Matt first married. Later, Kid and Matt added an indoor bathroom and a second bedroom to the cabin for their growing family. After the twins were born, they added a third bedroom and relocated the kitchen, moving the cast iron stove and sink pump. The single beds that Heyes and Kid used when the partners first wintered with Clarence Jones were now in one of the girls' bedrooms. Upholstered chairs and a huge tufted sofa stood in their place. Aside from the trunk in the corner and the long narrow table, one of the few things to remain the same was the framed pen and ink sketch hanging above the fireplace, _Comrades_.

"My husband's partner said not to trust you any farther than I can throw you," continued Matt.

"Heyes always was a genius," answered Harry with a sour grimace for Heyes.

"Joshua," admonished Matt's soft voice.

The reprobate rolled his eyes in disregard. Matt's blue eyes hardened.

"Harry, I understand why Joshua invited you here, even after what you did to my husband," smiled Matt. The sunny smile and the sweet tone made her next words all the more chilling. "But don't do anything to threaten my family or I'll have to shoot you."

Harry Wagener took a step backwards. Away from Matt, closer to Heyes.

"Is she serious?" hissed the silver haired scalawag.

"Oh yeah," nodded Heyes cheerfully. He toed back the edge of the braided blue rug to reveal a stained floorboard. "Last man that threatened her family didn't make it out of here alive."

Wagener's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. The rascal leaned towards his one-time accomplice.

"Heyes," whispered Harry. "Her eyes are blue, not brown, but don't she remind you of Lorraine?"

"Only the blonde hair," answered Heyes firmly. "She's nothing like Lorraine, not once you get to know her."

The front door swung open. Quiet nine year old Hannah shepherded the bouncing twins inside. Eight year old Jennifer and Heyes' son Arthur followed, whispering heatedly about something. A very red faced thirteen year old stomped in next, followed by Kid. He shrugged out of his sheepskin jacket and reached for the coat hook.

"You didn't have to embarrass me like that Papa!" cried Eliza.

The tall blonde girl rushed into a rear bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Kid removed his brown hat. The silver and turquoise hatband sparkled in the light as he hung it atop the coat.

"Harry," greeted Kid with a nod, "Heyes."

The other children congregated around the long narrow table. Chairs were pulled out, a cookie jar opened, books and papers spread across the table. Matt reached out a hand. Kid moved to her side.

"The Clemson boy?" asked Matt.

"All I did was tell him she's only thirteen. He thought she was older because she's so tall," answered Kid, a confused, hurt look on his face. "I don't know why she's so upset. It's not like I called him out or anything."

Heyes leaned closer to Wagener.

"You see," whispered Heyes in conspiratorial manner, "this is why I thought you might like the bunkhouse better. It's quieter. You only have to deal with Kyle, Preacher and Lobo there, and sometimes Wheat when he comes over to play poker."

"Are all these children Kid's?" whispered Harry incredulously.

"The blonde girls are his and Matt's. Arthur is mine and Clem's," answered Heyes with a beaming glance at the dark haired boy.

Little Carolyn stood up on tiptoes in her chair and stretched one pudgy arm out towards the cookie jar. As the child reached farther, the chair wobbled precariously. A sharp squeal sounded as Kid plucked the four year old up in his arms before the chair toppled backwards, landing on the floor with a thump. Kid's voice murmured soothing words to calm the frightened child after her near fall, but putting the lid on the cookie jar set off a bout of wailing. Charlotte's big blue eyes widened in sympathy. When Kid restored the cookie jar to the top shelf of the nearby pie safe, the younger twin added her voice to the lament for lost cookies.

"You might be right about the bunkhouse," agreed Wagener in a low voice at the crescendo. "I've caught my breath. Why don't we go now?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 _Breakfast was a minor miracle. Although Heyes and Clem didn't stay, they heard all about the flapjack eating contest later_ _from Eliza ._

 _"He ate more flapjacks than Papa!" exclaimed the six year old chatterbox, blue eyes round in astonishment. "And he didn't yell when Hannah spilled the molasses on him!"_

 _Kid didn't push, but with Heyes and baby Arthur both feverish, irritable and breaking out with little red blisters, Clem had her hands full. She sent Riordan and Malcolm to the Jones' family for dinner._ _Riordan and Malcolm_ _stayed the night in the front room. Rambunctious giggly girls, bedtime stories and lullabies showed a sad, lonely boy another side of the man who sired him. By the end of the week, Kid showed Riordan the vein of corundum in the old mine. After Heyes recovered from chickenpox, he joined the pair, along with Malcolm, digging for colored stones._ _Sometimes Heyes found himself listening more to the steady stream of talk between Kid and Riordan than digging._

" _I didn't know Deanna was from Kansas too," blurted out Heyes in surprise once._

" _Yeah," replied Kid. "Her first husband was killed in the war. She always said I looked like him."_

 _In early August, Heyes walked in on Kid talking to Riordan._

" _He's lonely without your folks, and he don't really know us," insisted Kid. "Will you take Malcolm to Boston with you? Watch out for him?"_

 _The boy looked up at Heyes' arrival and didn't answer. A few days later, Heyes ran into Kid talking with Malcolm._

" _The boy won't admit it, but he needs someone to look out for him," urged Kid. "Will you go to Boston with him, watch out for him?"_

 _Riordan and Malcolm left for Boston at the end of August carrying a valise of uncut gemstones. Letters went back and forth regularly throughout the school year. The next summer Riordan and Malcolm returned to Thunder Ridge, but Riordan didn't want to go digging for gemstones again._

" _I earned a full scholarship," informed the now twenty year old young man. "But there is one thing I would like, if you have time… would you teach me how to ride?"_

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Pink curtains?" asked Harry arching one eyebrow up. "What kind of bunkhouse is this?"

"Green curtains," corrected Heyes. "Green with pink roses."

"And ruffles," added Harry.

Heyes nodded to the wall that separated one corner of the bunkhouse from the rest of the wide open area.

"When Wheat and Martha first married, they lived here for a little while," explained Heyes. "She put the curtains up. When she and Wheat moved down into town, they left 'em."

"Wheat's married too?"

"Yeah, apparently he and Martha were engaged years ago, before he went off to fight in the war," answered Heyes. "They found each other again a few years back."

"Like Janet and me," murmured Wagener softly.

Heyes raised his eyebrows at the comparison. Janet, the woman who planned the robbery and threatened to kill Kid in such cold tones as to leave Heyes in no doubt of her sincerity, was nothing like Martha Carlson. Although Kyle found Martha intimidating, the blustery woman had a kind heart and a soft spot for her husband's partner.

"You can stay here as long as you stick to your role of Thaddeus Jones' rapscallion of an uncle," continued Heyes. "Just don't hurt anybody."

"Aw Heyes, I just want to find enough of them fancy gemstones to retire properly," smirked Wagener. "I don't have any _incentive_ to hurt you or anybody else."

Was it something in Harry's tone, or just the memory of the last time Harry had used the word incentive, that sent chills down Heyes' spine? Heyes opened the door, looking down the trail leading to the Jones home.

"Good, I'll leave you to get settled. The boys will be here later," nodded Heyes. He paused. "You have told me everything now Harry, haven't you?"

"Now Heyes," smirked Harry, "would I lie to you?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	4. Old Secrets and New Secrets

Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.

A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate. Story exists in the same No Amnesty - Smith and Jones story verse as previous stories.

Chapter 4 – Old Secrets and New Secrets

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Heyes didn't have a chance to tell his partner about Harry's latest scheme until later that evening. The two men sat outside on the Jones' front porch. Kid's feet rested upon the railing. He bit down on the long narrow cigar between his lips and inhaled deeply. Heyes rested his elbows on his knees, ignoring the cigar in his hand as he talked.

"Diamonds? Emeralds?" exclaimed Kid when his partner finally paused for breath. Gesturing with the cigar, he asked, "Where did Harry get that fool idea?"

"I don't know," answered Heyes, "but apparently he heard something about Riordan paying for law school with a bunch of gemstones. Harry thinks they came from Thunder Ridge."

"Uncut rubies and sapphires, yes," nodded Kid, "but no emeralds. And the only diamonds Riordan sold were from his mother's necklace."

Whatever their reasons for marrying, Charles and Deanna's subsequent relationship appeared to have been based on mutual respect. Diamonds from the necklace, an ornate gift from Charles on the occasion of the couple's tenth anniversary, along with rubies and sapphires from the mining in Thunder Ridge, and a well-deserved scholarship, paid for Riordan's schooling.

"For once, Harry's plan doesn't sound dangerous, nor illegal," concluded the muscular blond.

A momentary silence followed Kid's observation. Kid exhaled a ring of smoke, watching it float lazily upwards. Heyes shook his head.

"That's if Harry's told us everything," grumbled Heyes with a disgruntled frown.

Heyes started to take a puff of his cigar and then withdrew it from his mouth. Looking at the tip in annoyance, the dark haired man leaned forward and tapped the ashes over the side of the railing. Heyes sat back in the chair, crossing his legs. Pulling a matchbox from his shirt pocket, he withdrew a match, struck it against his heel and then relit his cigar.

"I don't mind Harry looking for gemstones," mused Kid, "but a dank, dark old mineshaft ain't the place for a man that's coughing like he's doing."

"You're right about that," agreed Heyes, "but we need something to keep Harry busy and out of trouble."

"If he's set on looking for treasure, there are trace rocks down by the waterfall that might interest him," suggested Kid.

"Good idea," nodded Heyes. "And when Doc Abernathy gets back, we'll need to have him take a look at Harry. And get his eyes examined too, he might need glasses like Kyle."

Kid nodded in wordless agreement. The two partners puffed contentedly on their cigars. From inside the home, the soft murmurs of women and children could be heard. A small brown owl hooted in a nearby tree.

"Harry always has plans," fretted Heyes. "I just wish we knew what they were!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Several days later, Heyes glimpsed movement on the sloping trail from Kid's home. The librarian rose from his desk and moved closer to the window. Heyes tugged the white cuffs of his shirt straight beneath the sleeves of his dark brown jacket as he watched Harry Wagener's furtive steps. Walking slowly, stopping every few minutes to look around, then continuing on, the duplicitous newcomer to Thunder Ridge looked like he was up to something.

"Willis," called Heyes to his assistant, "keep an eye on things for a while. I'll be back."

Heyes followed the silver haired schemer as Harry made his way from the corner of the livery, to Kid's workshop. It was almost comical to see Harry peek inside the wide open double doors, then draw his head back quickly as if he were afraid to be seen. The older man pressed against the building and sidled around to the window to peek in again. Heyes strode over behind Harry and tapped the man on the shoulder. Harry jumped, spun around, gasping to stare at Heyes.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" huffed Harry indignantly. "What did you do that for?"

Heyes crossed one arm over his chest and then the other. Brown eyes narrowed.

"I thought Doc Abernathy was treating you for a respiratory infection," replied Heyes. "Do you have a heart condition too?"

"No, not unless you give me one," retorted Harry. "And that Abernathy is a real miracle worker, I'm feeling much better."

Although Heyes wouldn't attribute miracles to the good Doctor, Harry did look better than when Heyes retrieved him in Rawlins. The circles beneath his eyes weren't as dark. Harry walked all the way down to the town square unaided. And Heyes hadn't heard him coughing recently. Whether that was due to Abernathy, or sunshine, fresh air, and a few nights quiet restful sleep, was anyone's guess.

"Why are you sneaking around Harry?" demanded Heyes in a firm authoritative tone. "What kinda trouble are you getting into now?"

"I'm not sneaking," sniffed Harry. The rascal straightened up and levelled his gaze at Heyes. Unblinking, attempting to give the impression of truthfulness, Harry stated, "And I'm not getting into trouble."

Heyes snorted in disbelief.

"You're always in trouble Harry," reminded Heyes. "Yesterday you were in town looking for a telegraph office, and today you're sneaking around Thaddeus' business. What are you doing?"

Wagener pursed his lips. Instead of answering Heyes, he asked a question.

"What kind of town doesn't have a telegraph?" demanded Harry.

Heyes shook his head. The world had changed a lot in the past twenty years, and Harry had missed out.

"People use telephones now, they talk to each other," responded Heyes quietly. The dark haired man looked at the man before him. "I've got a telephone over at the library. Do you need to contact someone?"

"No!" snapped Harry quickly and looked away.

Heyes' frown deepened. From past experience, he knew Harry talked fast when he was lying.

"Then why were you looking for the telegraph office?"

"Don't you remember casing a town?" sneered Harry. "Checking for the telegraph, the sheriff's office, the bank…"

"The nearest Sheriff's office is over at Porterville, and so is the bank, although there is a deputy's station in Four Corners," interrupted Heyes. "Are you casing Thunder Ridge?"

"No, I'm just trying to get my bearings," replied Harry.

"Is peeking in the windows of Jones' Mechanical Repair part of that?" asked Heyes.

Wagener's face lit up with an impish grin.

"The fella over at the livery stable was grumbling about horseless carriages," explained Wagener. His eyes gleamed with excitement. "He said Ki- I mean, Thaddeus, has one. I just had to see it for myself."

"Then maybe we should go inside," suggested Heyes. "Let you get a closer look."

"Really!" Wagener's glee was unmistakable. "Kid won't mind?"

Heyes rolled his eyes at Wagener's slip.

"Just don't mention Elmer Lovejoy," ordered Heyes as they walked to the front door. "Thaddeus and Elmer don't see eye to eye on how to build a horseless carriage. You'll never hear the end of it."

"How did Thaddeus get started working on these things?" asked Wagener as they entered Kid's lair.

"You know him," replied Heyes with a smirk. "It it's got a cylinder, Thaddeus won't rest until he's taken it apart, cleaned it and put it back together again better than before."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Kid stopped by the library later that afternoon.

"Returning books?" asked Heyes with a warm smile.

Kid handed him _The Hound of the Baskervilles_ , and then leaned forward across the return desk.

"Heyes, did you know that Harry mailed a letter to Mexico?" asked Kid.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

As spring turned into summer, Harry continued to grow stronger. He walked down to the post office every day, for exercise, he told Heyes. The scalawag played poker with Wheat, Kyle, Preacher and Lobo every Friday night, losing more matchsticks than not. And the little pile of rocks that he dug up grew slowly but surely.

"Whatcha gonna do with all them rocks Harry?" asked Kyle.

"Those rocks are gonna fund my retirement Kyle," answered Harry with a sly smirk. "Someplace nice and warm, where the women are beautiful and…"

"The women are beautiful right here," asserted Kyle loyally. The dynamite specialist pushed his wire rimmed spectacles up his nose and stared owl-like at Harry. "And iffen you keep the stove stoked up, it stays warm here too, even in January."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Amanda Joy Jones made her debut appearance in early July. Over the next several days, a troop of well-wishers made a point to stop by, peek at the new baby, and congratulate Matt and Thaddeus, including the newest resident of Thunder Ridge.

"Harry Wagener," declared Jenny Black, lips pursed in a small frown.

Heyes' looked up from the new baby to see Harry framed in the open front door. Harry held a handful of blue prairie flax mixed with some smaller white flowers that looked like woodland star. The still beautiful white haired woman gazed at Harry in annoyance.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," smirked the handsome rogue.

"I've been telling folks you're my miscreant baby brother," sniffed Thaddeus Jones' second mother. Placing her hands on her curvaceous hips, Jenny frowned indignantly. "You show up looking older than Methuselah and people start wondering how old I am!"

Harry's smile lit up his face. He reached for Jenny's right hand, raised it gently to his lips and bestowed a kiss upon her fingertips.

"My dear, sweet sister," schmoozed the charmer, "you don't look a day over sixty."

Jenny snatched her hand back, but Heyes could tell she was pleased with the attempted flattery.

"Thaddeus is going to be forty-eight next month, I don't think anyone is going to believe that line," admonished Jenny. She continued to eye Wagener suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

Harry held the flowers up.

"I wanted to see the new baby and bring flowers," answered Harry simply. "It's what folks do, right?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Heyes walked back with Harry towards the bunkhouse a short while later. The warbling song of a meadowlark sounded. Heyes caught a glimpse of the yellow bird flitting in the blue sky as it flew from a tree branch. Harry was uncharacteristically silent.

"Where did you find woodland star this late in the season?" asked Heyes in an attempt to get the dapper older man talking.

"There's a cool, shady spot real close to the waterfall. I picked the last of them," answered Harry.

Heyes thought about the waterfall. There was only one rocky alcove that he could think of that was still shaded in July.

"Should you really be digging that close to the waterfall?" asked Heyes. "You'll get soaked."

"I ain't afraid of a little water Heyes," smirked Harry, "at least as long as you and I aren't going swimming."

The gibe made Heyes feel uncomfortable. Trying to beat Kid's location out of Harry was a sign of how desperate, how frightened, he'd been by Janet's cold hearted threats to kill his partner.

"They're Janet's favorite flower."

"Huh?" Heyes shook his head to clear it of the dark, old memories. "It's hard to think of a woman like Janet Judson having a favorite flower."

Wagener stopped walking abruptly. Gravel skittered on the edge of the woodland trail as he turned to glare at Heyes. The mocking smile Harry usually sported was gone. In its place was a serious expression.

"You don't know anything about Janet," said the one time bank robber in a fierce, quiet voice.

Heyes raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I know she shot a rifle at Kid when he was tied up, defenseless!" growled Heyes.

"Defenseless? Kid! Ha!"

"And Janet's testimony is the main reason you got twenty years," reminded Heyes with a gloating tone, sure he had made his point.

"Don't hold that against her," replied Wagener with a tightlipped smile. "That was my idea."

"Your idea?" Heyes' voice rose incredulously. "Your idea to put yourself in prison for twenty years?"

"We couldn't take the risk of Lorraine being tried for murdering her husband," answered Wagener. "Janet didn't want me to take the blame, but I convinced her."

Heyes remembered the woman who wouldn't risk the possibility of a bomb in the carpetbag. Janet had led them all straight to Harry rather than risk his death. The woman's later actions, visiting Harry after being released from prison, seemed to indicate devotion. A possibility crossed his mind. Heyes' mouth dropped open.

"Harry, was Lorraine your daughter?" asked Heyes in a soft tone.

"I wish," sighed Harry. The silver haired man leaned backwards against a large boulder. "She coulda been mine, if only I hadn't been such a fool."

"What do you mean Harry?"

"Janet wanted to get married, but I wanted to be a hero," replied Harry with a rueful tone. "She was only fifteen. I promised I'd be back just as soon as the war was over. Who knew the bloody thing was gonna last so long!"

"What happened?" prompted Heyes.

"Life," snorted Harry. He raised both hands above his head and shook them. "Life is what happened. When I finally got out of the prison camp and made it back home, Janet was gone. She married someone named Judson six weeks after I joined the army and moved west."

Heyes folded his arms across his chest, watching Harry closely.

"We were lucky though," smiled Harry. His eyes lit up with the memory. The silver haired schemer lowered his arms, pressing back on the boulder once more. "We met again by accident, years later."

The meadowlark flitted through the aspen trees, warbling once more.

"Janet was a widow by then, and we took our time courting, getting reacquainted," continued Harry. "We were both so happy to see each other that neither one of us realized what was going on at first with Lorraine."

The schemer's voice trailed off in memory. Heyes remembered what Kid had told him of his captivity, of Lorraine's wild claims.

"What was going on with Lorraine?" nudged Heyes after a moment.

Harry's face twisted in sorrow.

"Looking at Matt holding the new baby today, made me wish things had been different," responded Harry. "I wish I had been there to take care of Janet and Lorraine, to make sure Lorraine married someone like Kid or you."

"You wish Lorraine had married an outlaw?" blurted out Heyes in surprise.

"I wish Lorraine had married a man who knew how to cherish a woman," answered Harry, "instead of a beast who kept her locked up, isolated in that ranch house, and beat her."

The dark haired former outlaw cringed at Harry's revelation.

"Janet found out when she tried to see Lorraine," sighed Harry. "She told me, begged me to rescue Lorraine."

The man paused, took a deep breath, and then went on.

"I wanted to be the hero," repeated Harry. "So I rode over to the homestead, intending to bring Lorraine home to Janet. The beast came back as we were saddling the horses. Lorraine shot him to stop him from killing me."

Heyes inhaled sharply. Kid had told Heyes that Lorraine said she killed her husband to run off with another man. Heyes had never pried into the details, thinking the young woman was involved in a romantic entanglement. It was hard to picture Lorraine as an imprisoned princess. It was even harder to picture Harry in the role of a knight coming to her rescue, the dilapidated ranch house as a prison.

"Lorraine told folks in town he was on a trip to buy more cattle," continued Harry. "People believed it at first because he was a successful rancher, but three months later they were starting to wonder. We had to get outta there soon. We were desperate. That's why we wanted to rob the bank. We needed getaway money."

"Harry why didn't you tell that to the circuit judge when he arrived?" exclaimed Heyes. "No judge, no jury would have convicted Lorraine of murder."

"Couldn't risk it," responded Harry. "The beast was also the son of the judge."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It wasn't until that evening, that Heyes got a chance to discuss Harry's revelations with his partner. Kid's blue eyes grew wide with concern as Heyes's spiel wound down to a conclusion.

"You reckon all that's true?," asked Kid.

"Kid, you had to see his face," responded Heyes, thinking of the regret in Harry's eyes as he revealed his story. "No one could pull a con like that, not even me."

"No, I meant the part where Harry and Janet knew each other before," clarified the younger Kansan. "Big age difference, him being almost thirty and her only fifteen."

"He was twenty-eight," answered Heyes. "Not much different than you and Matt, you're twelve years older and…"

"Matt was twenty-two when we got married," reminded the muscular blond. "Not fifteen."

Kid leaned forward in his chair, shoulder muscles tight with tesnion. The father of six daughters looked down between his boots and stared at the porch floor. The cigar in his hand remained unlit.

"Awfully young for a girl to be getting' married," mumbled Kid.

"Some women get married even younger," replied Heyes with a shrug.

Kid looked up at his partner, blue eyes worried.

"Eliza is gonna be fifteen in two years," stated Kid.

Heyes swallowed a smirk as he realized what was bothering his partner.

"Aw Kid," soothed Heyes, "you don't have to worry about Eliza."

"I don't?"

"Of course not," replied Heyes with a devilish twinkle in his eye. "She won't be interested in some schemer like Harry, she'll be looking for likely lads like Stuart Clemson, or Willis Longbottom, or Cesar MacCreedy…"

"Heyes!" interrupted Kid. "You ain't helpin'."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

August was hot. Hotter than Heyes could remember. He trudged up the steep trail to his partner's home. The rocking chair had been moved outside to the shady porch. Kid sat, slowly moving back and forth, tiny Amanda snuggled on his shoulder. Kyle turned the arm on the hand-cranked churn. From the way Wheat was swinging his shoulder, he must have just finished a turn on the ice cream maker.

"Happy Birthday partner," greeted Heyes as he walked up the steps.

Blue eyes looked up at Heyes, questioning.

"He'll be here in time for supper," soothed Heyes with a grin. "The train was late getting in to Porterville, but he called. He's on his way."

Heyes stepped past Kid. Inside the cabin, he found Matt standing by the table, flipping through the recipes in an old cookbook, _Mrs. A.B. Marshall's Book of Cookery._ The tall blonde Texan brushed back a tendril of long blonde hair from her sweaty face.

"Are they…" Matt hesitated.

"Riordan's bringing them from the train station," Heyes replied with a grin.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The celebration was in full swing when Heyes saw Jenny Black drag Harry over to Big Mac. The big barrel chested man, curly hair long since turned silver white, grinned to see his pseudo sister. Big Mac and Jenny had both sworn in a court of law that Thaddeus Jones was family, and they were related. Jenny flashed a mischievous wink as she made the introductions.

"Seeing as how both of you are Thaddeus' uncles, you two ought to meet," smiled Jenny. "Mac, this is our scapegrace younger brother Harry. If anybody asks, our mother was married more than once, that's why you have different last names."

Big Mac nodded. It was similar to the story they told the judge, Jenny had been widowed and remarried, to explain why Jenny had a different last name than Thaddeus Jones.

"Patrick J. MacCreedy," boomed Big Mac. With a wicked smirk he added, "I'm the respectable uncle, from Texas."

"You came all the way from Texas for a birthday party?" exclaimed Harry in a surprised tone, not even reacting to the implication of Big Mac's comment.

"Birthday's only happen once a year," reminded Big Mac. "And a new baby in the family this year makes it even more special."

The jovial man pointed the thick cigar in his hand towards the other arrivals from Texas, a tall man with straight gray blond hair, a beautiful red haired woman at his side, and a beaming older woman with snow white hair. Squealing children raced in between the adults, laughing and running.

"Travelling by private rail car," continued Big Mac, "no one knows that Henry Curry and his family came to Wyoming."

"Henry Curry," echoed Harry, turning to look at Kid, he asked, "is he…"

"No relation to my nephew Thaddeus Jones," interrupted Big Mac. The Texan inhaled deeply on the cigar. With a twinkle in his eye, MacCreedy added, "Of course they resemble each other so much that you might think they were brothers."

Carlotta MacCreedy arrived then. Linking her arm through her husband's, she and Big Mac moved off through the crowd. Jenny laughed and pulled Harry towards Heyes. Leaving the two men, she headed for the kitchen. The silver haired man stared at Kid with a dazed expression on his face.

"Are you all right Harry?" asked Heyes.

The charming rogue shook his head, bring his eyes to meet Heyes.

"It's a lot of folks for a birthday supper," prodded Harry.

"Just family," answered Heyes.

"Family?" asked Harry with a look around the room. "All those folks from Texas? Wheat and his wife, Kyle, Preacher, Lobo, the Hendersons, the Coles, Lom Trevors, me?"

"There's all sorts of family," laughed Heyes. The dark haired Kansan threw his arm over Harry's shoulder. "We make allowances for sheriffs and you."

Harry's eyes continued around the room, finally settling on Riordan, standing next to Kid.

"It was the dimples that mixed me up," confided Harry.

"Huh?" asked Heyes.

Harry nodded towards the head of the table. The attorney was almost as tall as Kid, with dark curls instead of blond, and a wide generous smile that dimpled his cheeks when he laughed.

"There's no denying the family resemblance," hissed Harry in a low tone. "That city slicker is the son of Kid Curry."

"Careful there Harry," warned Heyes.

There were a few secrets he and Kid didn't share. It was safer that way. Only a handful of people knew Riordan was Kid's biological son, the same handful that knew Kid and Heyes were cousins. Most people thought Thaddeus Jones and Clementine Hale Smith were cousins.

"That city slicker is a lawyer and he will shoot a lawsuit at you for defamation of character faster than anything if he hears you."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The rest of the guests from Texas, Sheriff Coltrane, Matt's cousin Eula Mae, her husband Claude and all their children arrived just before the cake and ice cream was served. The extended family stayed at Mrs. Henderson's boarding house. The family reunion lasted three days, ending with Heyes' favorite cake for his birthday celebration.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Heyes," hissed Kid in a low warning voice.

The dark haired man kneeling beside the wood pile felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle at Kid's tone. Heyes looked up at his partner, but Kid had already dropped the piece of firewood in his hands and was running to meet the men on the trail.

"What happened?" called Kid.

Heyes rose to stand, feeling the chill of the late September evening breeze cut into him now that he was no longer sheltered by the woodpile. Kyle and Wheat half dragged, half carried Harry Wagener between them. Harry was dripping, wet hair plastered to his forehead, water streaming down his face, his lips tinged blue with cold.

"We found him at the base of the waterfall like this," Kyle tried to explain. "We brung him here. Your place is closer than the bunkhouse."

Kid stepped in beside Harry, taking the shivering man's weight.

"Kyle, go get Doc Abernathy," ordered Kid, his blue eyes worried. "Wheat and I'll bring him inside."

Heyes hurried to the porch and opened the front door as Kyle raced down the hill. Matt looked up from her seat in the rocker as Kid and Wheat dragged Harry inside the Jones' family home. Clem stopped going over the multiplication table with Arthur and Jennifer in mid-sentence. The children seated at the table stared.

"What's going on?" the blonde Texan asked.

"Harry nearly drowned himself," answered Wheat. "Blame fool thing iffen you ask me, digging gemstones this time of year."

"There's… a… big… stone," started Harry, teeth chattering as he tried to speak, "right… at the base… of the… waterfall… a… diamond… I'm sure of it."

"A diamond won't do you any good Harry," replied Kid, "if you freeze to death or drown trying to get it."

"We need to get him out of those wet clothes, and warmed up," directed Matt. "Thaddeus, I'll get him some of your things to wear, and blankets. Once we get him changed, he can sit here by the fire."

Matt stood up, and gently laid baby Amanda in the cradle. The tall woman disappeared into the bedroom as the warmth of the cozy home started to penetrate the chilled man.

"Harry, after nearly twenty years in prison, why didn't you pick something to do that was a little easier on the back?" grumbled Kid. "Breaking up rocks is prison work. And trying to dig anything outta that cold water is dang foolhardy."

"I'm used to working in the cold," answered Harry, "most of my time in Laramie, I had a job cutting ice blocks."

"Ice blocks?" asked Kid.

"Yeah," groused Harry. "You wouldn't believe how much ice the Union and Pacific railroad uses. The prison had a contract with the railway and prisoners were free labor."

"I never did like railroads nor prisons," grumbled Wheat. "The two of 'em in cahoots is just not right."

Matt returned a moment later with dry clothing. She pointed to the water closet. Harry shook himself loose of Kid and Wheat's support. The color was returning to his face.

"I can dress myself," stated Harry.

"Fine, get out of those wet things," agreed Matt. She handed him Kid's clothing and turned to Heyes. "Joshua, would you please start a pot of coffee?"

By the time Kyle returned with Doctor Abernathy, Harry was settled in the rocker. Dressed in a warm red shirt of Kid's, with tan trousers rolled up at the bottom, Harry's feet were soaking in a bucket of hot water. A blanket was over his shoulders and he held a steaming cup of strong, hot coffee.

"It's the wrong time of year to be going swimming," chided the good doctor. The medical man listened to Harry's chest with a stethoscope. "Your lungs and heart sound fine now. Keep warm, get a good night's sleep, and I'll be back here in the morning to check on you again."

The doctor started repacking his equipment. Harry took his feet out of the bucket and reached for his wet boots.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Abernathy.

"Getting ready to go back to where I'm staying," answered Harry. He gestured in the general direction of the bunkhouse. "Cabin up the ridge."

"Oh no," ordered the doctor. "You're staying here tonight, with your nephew and his family. I don't want you going out in the cold again. Snow flurries have already started."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Carolyn and Charlotte can go back in the trundle," stated Kid. "Eliza goes back in the bedroom with Hannah and Jennifer. That leaves their bedroom free for guests."

Matt nodded, but Heyes raised his eyebrow. The older children had finished their homework and were picking up books, papers and pencils. Clem stood behind Arthur, holding his coat ready along with her cloak.

"Guests?" asked Heyes.

Kid's blue eyed gaze traveled past Heyes to rest on Kyle. The small explosives expert stood by the door, talking with Wheat and Doctor Abernathy. The pair planned to walk down the trail with the Smith family.

"I know it ain't much snow yet, but I don't want Kyle going all the way back to the bunkhouse by himself," answered Kid. "You know he can't see well in the dark."

"And how are you gonna convince Kyle to stay?" asked Heyes.

"I'll ask him to help me keep an eye on Harry," replied Kid with a grin.

In a matter of minutes, Kid walked out onto the porch with Heyes. Wheat led the way down the trail to the town, followed by Abernathy, Clem and Arthur. Inside the chaotic sounds of children getting ready for bed had started. Harry's wheedling tone as he asked Hannah to fetch him another cup of coffee caused Kid to roll his eyes.

"Why is Harry my uncle? Not yours?" grumbled Kid with a good natured grin that belied the complaint. "You both are schemers."

"Partner," chuckled Heyes, "you're a schemer too."

"Aren't we all?" agreed Kid as Heyes stepped off the porch into the swirling white flakes of snow.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	5. New Problems

Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.

A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate. Story exists in the same No Amnesty - Smith and Jones story verse as previous stories.

Chapter 5 – New Problems

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Wait for me!" called Heyes.

The dark haired genius pulled his hat further down to block the snow flurries as he hurried to catch up with Clem and Arthur. Stepping in between his wife and son, the outlaw turned librarian wrapped one arm around Clem's waist and another across Arthur's shoulders.

"Let's hurry home," urged Heyes, hugging them close.

"Why did we have to leave so early?" grumbled Arthur. "I'm gonna miss the story."

"Instead of Thaddeus reading tonight," offered Heyes, "how about if I tell you the legend of Fionn McCool?"

"That's my favorite!" exclaimed Arthur, his dark eyes shining with enthusiasm. "And then will you tell about Niall…"

"One story," chuckled Clem as they stepped into the town square. "Then bed, you've got school tomorrow."

Wheat waved goodbye and trudged towards his home near the school. Doc Abernathy turned towards Mrs. Henderson's boarding house. In a matter of minutes, the Smith family was climbing the stairs to their rooms above the library. It wasn't until after bedtime stories, and Heyes pulled the door to his son's room shut, that he and Clem had a moment to themselves.

"Did Thaddeus really need Kyle to help him keep an eye on Harry?" asked the tiny hazel eyed woman.

Clem faced the mirror and began to pull hairpins out of her coiffure. Heyes stepped closer, reaching slender fingers up to take a hairpin from her tiny hand. He began to withdraw one pin after another, releasing a tumult of long dark curls with an occasional strand of silver shining in the lamp light.

"No," answered Heyes as he pressed a tender kiss behind her earlobe. "Harry's wild schemes don't ever come to anything. Since Preacher and Lobo went to New Mexico for the winter, Kid didn't want Kyle going back to the bunkhouse alone."

A second kiss further down her throat was followed by a third along her collarbone. Clem took a deep breath and turned to face her husband.

"Are you sure?" asked Clem. "After everything you said about that time in San Francisco and kidnapping Thaddeus…"

Heyes pressed his lips against Clem's. For a moment, neither spoke.

"Do you really want to talk about Harry now?" murmured Heyes when he had breath enough to speak.

"Who's talking?" breathed Clem as she pulled him back into the warmth of her embrace.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Joshua," called Kid in a low voice.

Heyes looked up at the sound. The former outlaw leader stopped typing. Two fingers stayed poised over the keyboard of the Underwood typewriter on the desk in front of him. A pile of blank index cards sat beside the machine. Kid stood by the front door of the library. Early morning sunshine cast a halo around his tall form.

"Thaddeus," greeted Heyes with a warm smile.

The muscular blond stepped inside. Kid wiped his muddy boots on the entry way rug and took off his floppy brown hat, but stayed dripping on the tiny braided rug. Last night's snow flurries had turned into some much needed rain with the warmth of daylight.

"How's Harry doing?" asked Heyes as he rose from his chair.

"What do you expect?" groused Kid, rolling his blue eyes. "After getting soaked yesterday, he's got a cold. I coulda told you that. Didn't need Doc Abernathy coming to check up on him."

"Matt's chicken soup will fix Harry right up," chuckled Heyes. "You haven't had a cold since you two got married."

Kid nodded, but he turned to one side, scanning the library. Heyes sauntered over to stand beside his partner. The mastermind leaned in closer as he gave a furtive glance around the long rectangular room. Deaf old Mrs. McGillicutty was the only patron in the library this morning. Heyes' assistant Willis stood on the ladder shelving books along the top shelf at the far end of the room.

"What else?" hissed Heyes.

"Harry Wagener!" huffed Kid in an indignant whisper. "Eliza started asking questions after you left. The girls heard all that talk about him working in the ice house at the territorial prison, and Wheat's grumbling about railroads. Then Hannah and Jennifer started asking more…"

Heyes pursed his lips while Kid kept talking. Although the adults in Thunder Ridge knew the basic facts of Harry's incarceration, the partners had been deliberately vague when speaking of _Uncle Harry's_ past to the children. Heyes sucked in a deep breath, remembering his conversation with Kid about whether or not to bring Harry Wagener to Thunder Ridge. Heyes had been worried about Harry telling the law about them. Kid had been worried about something more, only agreeing when he realized Harry would have to stay in prison if he didn't have anywhere else to go.

"Was this what you had in mind when you said having Harry in Thunder Ridge would be dangerous for our families?" interrupted Heyes.

"Yeah. What did you think I meant?" asked Kid.

"Oh, just the usual when Harry is involved," replied Heyes. He grasped the edge of the nearest bookcase to steady himself. "Stampeding horses, explosions, gunshots, kidnapping…"

"You know the stampede wasn't Harry's fault," replied Kid.

"Things just kinda happen when Harry is around," muttered Heyes. He brushed his hair back from his eyes and plastered a smile across his face, preparing for the worst. "What did Harry tell the girls?"

"Harry told them that lots of folks robbed banks in those days, but he was the only one that had the misfortune to get caught!" exclaimed Kid.

"Oooh," winced Heyes. Harry wasn't the only one to get caught, but he was one of the few to stay caught. "And?"

"Eliza is up in arms about a miscarriage of justice." Kid's broad shoulders slumped. "She said it wasn't fair Uncle Harry got arrested and none of the others."

"Justice? Fair?" echoed Heyes in disbelief.

"The girls want me to get a posse rounded up and go after the other bank robbers!" hissed Kid. "I tried telling them that after all this time… it ain't likely…"

Kid's voice trailed off.

"Alright, this isn't good," agreed Heyes, "but we can explain it to the girls."

"What do you mean?"

"Harry wasn't just convicted of robbery. We can explain the different charges," suggested Heyes. "Harry left out the part about…"

The glare in Kid's blue eyes stopped Heyes. As his brain caught up to his mouth, Heyes realized that his partner might not want his daughters knowing the more gruesome details of Harry's case, and the charges of murder against Harry truly had been a miscarriage of justice.

"That ain't gonna be good enough," replied Kid, shaking his head.

"Yeah, you're right, forget I even said that," agreed Heyes. The genius stroked his chin thoughtfully. "There's got to be something."

The brave blond looked his partner directly in the eye.

"There is," stated Kid. "Last night Matt and I both agreed it's time to tell Eliza, Hannah and Jennifer about the amnesty. It's time to tell them about Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes."

"Oh," replied Heyes with a sickly smile. He felt like he'd been sucker punched. "Did you already…"

Heyes closed his dark eyes, thinking. Jennifer and Arthur were best friends, they had no secrets from each other. If Kid and Matt told their oldest daughters, his son would find out his father was a crook too. Would a simple good deed, bringing a man in from the cold, destroy their carefully crafted new lives? He closed his dark brown eyes and tried to think of a way out of this trap.

"Not yet," answered Kid. "When we tell the girls, I want to be able to show them that at least we were trying to go straight."

"We haven't all agreed to tell the children yet," objected Heyes.

Heyes flashed an easy smile, hoping to convince his partner, but Kid shook his head.

"You mean you haven't agreed. Matt and I already decided," stated Kid in a flat tone that brooked no argument. "We ain't gonna risk them getting hurt, finding out some other way."

"Don't I get a vote in this?" asked Heyes. "And Clem? It affects our family too."

"We ain't voting on this Heyes," replied Kid. The forlorn look on Kid's face caught Heyes by surprise. "Do you think I want to tell my children that I'm a bad man?"

"Kid," exclaimed Heyes, "you're not…"

"Now may I use your telephone?" interrupted Kid.

"What?" Heyes shook his head to clear it. "Why?"

Dark brown eyes opened to face Kid's worried gaze.

"I want to call Riordan, ask him to bring a copy of those old posthumous amnesty papers from the courthouse along with Harry's parole papers," answered Kid.

"Those papers don't prove anything!" argued Heyes.

"Those papers show we were trying for amnesty," replied Kid softly. "I want my children to at least know that much is true."

"Kid," cajoled Heyes, "you're not thinkin' straight. We don't have…"

"The girls are growing up and it's time they knew," interrupted his partner. "Now can I borrow your phone? Or do I need to have this conversation in the middle of Mrs. Henderson's boarding house where everyone can hear?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The dark haired genius wasn't happy about having to blow their cover. Trying for amnesty had been Kid's idea, but it was Heyes' idea to settle down in Thunder Ridge under the names Smith and Jones. And while Kid hadn't ever once said anything about blame, Heyes knew he had been the one to bring Harry Wagener here. In the long moments while Kid phoned their favorite lawyer, Heyes decided it was time for him to follow Kid's lead once more.

"We should probably all have the talk with the children together," agreed Heyes, when Kid came out of Heyes' office a short time later. Heyes walked with his partner through the library. "I'll tell Clem."

His partner's blue eyes brightened at Heyes' conciliatory gesture, but the reserved man stayed silent until they reached the door.

"Riordan said he'd be here the Friday after next," informd Kid. "He didn't sound surprised at all."

Kid started to go outside, but Heyes caught his partner's wrist.

"What about Carolyn and Charlotte? I know the twins are only four, but…"

Kid started shaking his head again, this time with a rueful grin.

"They're too young to understand. Charlotte and Carolyn think working in an ice house sounds like a good thing," sighed Kid, rolling his blue eyes again, this time in amusement. "They wanna be bank robbers and get sent to prison so they'll get ice cream."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Three days later, Kid stopped by the library again. He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his curly hair as he entered the building. The muscular blond huffed in frustration. Heyes set the Porterville Press cryptogram he was working on back down on his desk.

"What's Harry up to now?" asked Heyes.

"How did you know…" began Kid.

"The look on your face," answered Heyes.

"Reverend Potter stopped by the cabin yesterday to check up on Harry," informed Kid. "Did you know that Harry was the choir director for the prison's church choir?"

Heyes arched an eyebrow upwards.

"Really?" questioned Heyes. "I don't think Harry mentioned that."

"Well, when they had enough prisoners to have a choir," corrected Kid. "He said the place was practically empty the first few years he was locked up. Anyway, Potter asked Harry to help out with preparations for the Christmas pageant. Choir practice starts Monday after school."

"Better that than have him trying to dig rocks out from beneath the waterfall," reminded Heyes pragmatically, and Clem wouldn't mind having someone to help with the music lessons. "What else?"

"Harry's been asking about his mail again," added Kid. "He seems worried. Who do you suppose he knows in Mexico?"

"Mexico's a big place," began Heyes, then he paused thinking, trying to remember something Harry had said all those months ago when Heyes first brought the rapscallion to Thunder Ridge. "Harry mentioned Santa Marta once. You don't suppose…"

"That Harry's planning on hiding out in Santa Marta," snorted Kid. "Why not? We tried it. Of course if he's going by your plan, Harry's gonna need a wife."

"He'll have to get his own!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A week later Kid opened the library door. The sturdy gunsmith stood stiffly inside the door frame. Late afternoon sunlight shone through the library windows, lighting up his face. Kid didn't step inside at first. Heyes looked up from his desk and frowned, narrowing his dark brown eyes. Something was wrong. Then he realized, there was white gloved hand around his partner's bicep.

"Where's Harry?" demanded a familiar woman's voice.

The woman nudged Kid forward and stepped into view. She was older now, with gray hair pulled back severely in a tight bun. The blue and yellow gingham dress she wore reminded Heyes of the first time he had seen her.

"Janet Judson," greeted Heyes as he rose from his chair. He flashed a wry dimpled smile. "I would say it's a pleasure to see you again, but I'd be lying."

"When has that ever stopped you from saying anything?" hissed Janet.

Kid winced as she nudged him again. Heyes couldn't see what she held against his partner, but took a guess. Kid's holster was empty.

"Are you losing your touch?" asked Heyes with a forced grin, trying not to show his panic. "Does she have your gun against your back?"

"No," replied Kid, shaking his head wearily. "Mrs. Judson came prepared with one of her own, a big old Schofield, forty-five caliber."

Big enough to do some serious damage at this close range Heyes understood, but why hadn't Kid done something to warn Heyes before leading the woman into the library? Luckily there were no other people here. And why was Kid's holster empty?

"Then where's…" began Heyes.

The click as the hammer of Kid's Colt was pulled back alerted Heyes a moment before he felt the gun barrel jammed against his ribs.

"Right here," laughed Lorraine, as if pointing guns at people was all a big joke. "Now are you gonna answer my Mother's question? Or do I have to shoot you?"

Had he once thought that Matt looked like Lorraine? The brown eyed woman now wore her once golden hair pinned up in a tight bun like her mother's. The shorter woman still had a trim figure, but had also put on some weight with the intervening years.

"You don't have to shoot me," sighed Heyes.

He slowly raised his hands to show that they were empty. Heyes exchanged a glance with his partner. All they needed now was for Harry to come waltzing in demanding that Heyes blow a safe for him and it would be as if the last twenty years had never happened.

"Would one of you ladies explain to me how you're both alive?" asked Heyes. "The newspaper said that one of you killed the other."

"What?"

"Something about a red streak on the floor, signs of a body being dragged," Heyes pursed his lips as he tried to remember the article. "Tracks in the alley where a wagon had been."

"Is that what people thought?" Lorraine's voice pealed with laughter. "That rusty old red trunk left marks on the floor when we packed up to move."

"How's life in Santa Marta?" asked Heyes, taking a chance.

"Ooh, Santa Marta's wonderful!" exclaimed Lorraine.

"Don't tell them anything," hissed Janet.

"But..." protested Lorraine.

"Quit your foolishness," demanded Janet. She raised the heavy handgun, resting the barrel against Kid's chest where Heyes could see it. "Your partner wouldn't tell me, but with the right _incentive_ , I think you will. Where's Harry?"

"Where's Harry?" echoed Heyes.

Heyes' brown eyes met Kid's blue. The look Kid gave him confirmed what he already knew. There was only one thing neither of them would ever risk. Family.

"Do you want to shoot Harry?" asked Heyes softly. Betting his life, and Kid's, on a love that had been lost ages ago, he pressed on. "Or my partner? Or me?"

"No! I don't want to shoot anybody," Janet's face crumpled. Tears glistened. "I just want Harry!"

"We went to Rawlins," explained Lorraine. "To get him when he was released, but he was gone!

"You took him!" Janet's face twisted in pain, mirroring Kid's grimace as she prodded him with the revolver. "Why?"

"He was paroled in my custody," clarified Heyes. "We brought him here, so he wouldn't have to stay in prison for the last six months of his sentence."

"Then where is he?" demanded Janet. She raised the Schofield again, Kid turned his jaw to one side as the barrel now pressed at his throat. "Why won't you take us to him?"

"I'll be glad to take you to Harry," soothed Heyes, "but you have to put down the gun."

"It's a trick," hissed Lorraine. Wild brown eyes glared at Heyes. "Just like that bomb was a trick."

"It's no trick," called Kid. "Guns ain't allowed."

The revolver pointed at Kid wobbled. Then Janet slowly lowered the weapon.

"Where's Harry?" asked Janet. "Won't you take me to him? Please?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Leaving the revolvers locked in Heyes' desk drawer, Heyes, Janet, Kid and Lorraine strode towards the tiny Thunder Ridge Congregational Church. Nestled in between the school and the graveyard, the white clapboard building boasted a tall narrow spire and a copper bell. Unruly squawks sounded from the schoolhouse. Janet blanched at the sight of the graveyard.

"Is that where Harry is?" asked the gray haired woman, voice quavering. "Is that why you said no guns allowed?"

"No," soothed Heyes.

A slender hand reached out and pointed towards the school. The sound of Lute Morrison's squeezebox squawked again. Voices raised in warm up exercises with a multitude of la la las echoed.

"Reverend Potter roped Harry into being choir director," explained the dark haired Kansan as they reached the steps. With a teasing smile, he tried to make light of the situation. "We don't want to have a weapon in the school if someone sings off key."

Heyes opened the door for Janet. The woman stepped inside, followed by her daughter. The partners entered last. Inside was chaos. Lute's instrument heaved out another unmusical note. Mrs. Carlsen tapped middle C on the old upright piano. At the front of the long narrow room, Heyes saw Clem pinning something white and fluffy to Arthur's robe.

"Harry!"

Janet's voice carried across the noisy schoolroom. The silver haired man turned from the podium to face Janet. Harry's lips curled up in a dazzling smile, eyes bright and shining. He hurried forward to meet her as she ran towards him. They embraced in the center aisle with student desks on either side. Heyes only heard snatches of their whispered conversation.

" _Where have you been?"_

" _I wrote, didn't you get my letter?"_

The couple might have stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a good while longer, but another squawk from Lute's squeezebox sounded.

"You've arrived just in time," declared Harry as he stepped back from Janet. Still holding her hand, he led Janet back to the podium.

"In time for what?" demanded Lorraine.

Janet made a shushing noise towards her daughter, but Harry released her hand to wave proudly towards the front of the room. All the children of Thunder Ridge were now lined up by height in three rows. Eliza and the fifteen year old Clemson boy had the center of the back row with the other older children. In the middle row, Hannah, Arthur and Jennifer stood between one of the Henderson boys and a Cole girl. Smaller children, including two wanna be outlaws Charlotte and Carolyn, filled in a wriggling, wiggling first row.

"In time for our first dress rehearsal," answered Harry.

He tapped a sharp stick on the podium, raised it with a flourish. The children, all dressed in white choir robes, angel wings pinned on more or less straight, began to sing.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

Harry beamed as he looked at the woman standing beside him.

"Janet, look," called Harry. "Aren't they beautiful? Aren't they all beautiful?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-


	6. New Hopes, New Joys

Disclaimer: Alias Smith and Jones does not belong to me. This is fan fiction, not for profit.

Any references to people, places, businesses, etc. are entirely fictitious.

A/N – story presumes the details on the wanted posters are not entirely accurate. Story exists in the same No Amnesty - Smith and Jones story verse as previous stories.

Chapter 6 – New Hopes, New Joys

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Are you deaf?" asked Janet with a low hiss that Heyes could barely hear over the children's din. "They're ruining my favorite song!"

The cacophony of untrained voices rose to new levels with the concluding words of the song " _til by turning, turning we come 'round right"_ as if to prove her point. The last ploink of the piano keys was followed by a squawk from Lute's squeezebox.

"And what are they wearing?" demanded Janet.

"Costumes, the children are angels for the Christmas pageant," explained Harry.

"It's only October," objected Janet. "Why a dress rehearsal this early?"

"Motivation, to get them in the proper spirit," replied Harry with a happy smile. "The children need my help, but they'll be great by Christmas."

"We won't be here for Christmas," reminded Lorraine.

The brown eyed woman had been listening to Harry and Janet as intently as Heyes. Her teeth clenched, and her dark eyes held a sulky expression.

"We've already been in Wyoming longer than we planned," hissed the younger woman. "Mother, now that we've found your precious Harry, we need to go back to Santa Marta."

"You can't leave," insisted Heyes.

Beside him, Kid gave a look that disagreed. At the front of the room, the children shuffled about. Clem plucked at Arthur's costume, trying to straighten his wings. Mrs. Carlsen started tapping middle C on the piano again, while Lute brought his arms in and out pressing the concertina once more.

"Why not?" demanded Janet.

"Not yet, not until after Harry gets his parole papers," clarified Heyes. "Attorney Hale will be bringing them on Friday."

Lorraine's frown told Heyes what she thought of the delay, but Harry merely smiled and turned back to face the children's choir. He tapped his baton against the podium.

"Alright children, lovely warm up," encouraged Harry. "Now from the top with Hark the Herald Angels Sing."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Mrs. Henderson's boarding house is full up with Millicent McIntyre's wedding guests coming into town," hissed Kid. "There isn't room for Janet and Lorraine."

Ahead of the partners, Janet and Harry walked hand in hand as they left the school after the rehearsal. Lorraine trailed alongside them, still with a pout on her face.

"Mattie and I don't have any more rooms," reminded Kid. "Where are we gonna keep them until Friday?"

Clem linked her arm with Heyes and then Kid. Their long legs slowed to her pace. The children raced past the adults, running up the trail towards the Jones' cabin. Heyes turned towards his partner, a puzzled look on his face.

"Why are Harry and Kyle still staying with you?" asked Heyes. "Aren't they back in the bunkhouse?"

"Doc said to watch over Harry, he's still coughing at night," reminded Kid. "And Kyle's helping me keep an eye on him."

A smile spread across Heyes's face. He exchanged a glance with Clem. Her answering smile told him she knew as well. Kid wouldn't send the men off by themselves unless he was sure they would be alright.

"If Harry and Kyle are still staying with you, there's room in the bunkhouse," suggested Clem.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"She likes the curtains," hissed Heyes in disbelief.

From the doorway, he watched as Janet, Lorraine and Harry chattered about the bunkhouse. His partner joined him at the doorway and peered over his shoulder. Kyle came up the trail last.

"Janet or Lorraine?" asked Kid. "I didn't hear."

"Both," answered Heyes. "And Harry wants to stay here with them."

"It should be alright," nodded Kid. "Doc just said someone had to be with him if Harry's cold took a turn for the worse."

Kyle tugged on Kid's sleeve. The smaller man looked up beseechingly through wire rim spectacles.

"Can I still stay with you and Miz Jones?" asked the smaller man. "That Lorraine is scary."

"Yeah Kyle," agreed Kid. "I know what you mean."

Heyes, Kid and Kyle made their goodbyes and hurried back through the aspens and conifers.

"Friday can't come soon enough!" exclaimed Heyes.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Riordan Hale laid several forms across Lom Trevor's desk Friday morning. Heyes had called the lawyer and arranged to meet in Porterville. Clem, Janet and Lorraine watched from the side of the room as the tall attorney tapped a neatly manicured finger on the paper.

"Sign here, here, and here," directed Riordan.

Harry leaned over the desk and scribbled his signature in three places before passing the pen to Heyes. The genius smiled. As Heyes finished signing the last legal document, he straightened up beside Harry. Riordan folded the first form and handed it to the parolee.

"Harry Wagener, you're free to go now," smiled the young lawyer. "The other forms will be filed, one in the Cheyenne courthouse, the other in my law office."

With a happy squeal Janet stepped forward and hugged Harry. The charming rogue responded in kind and brought his lips to meet hers. Lorraine rolled her eyes and moved to separate the pair.

"We need to hurry to catch the train," urged Lorraine. "I can't wait to get back to Santa Marta and see Ramon."

Clem's hazel eyes blinked. She stepped away from the wall covered with garish new wanted posters and moved closer to the group gathered at Lom's desk.

"Ramon?" questioned the tiny brunette. "Ramon Cordoba, the Alcalde?"

For the first time since Heyes had seen Lorraine, the woman with graying blonde hair looked truly happy. Lorraine smiled.

"Oh yes," answered Lorraine with a dreamy sigh. "I'm planning on marrying him…"

"Marriage?" snapped Clem. "Is that wise?

"What do you mean?"

"Marrying again?" questioned Clem. "You shot your last husband. Didn't you?"

Lorraine glanced at Lom with a frightened look. The sheriff leaned against the wall nearest the jail cells. The aging lawman looked up sharply at Clem's words. Riordan glanced at Heyes with a look of concern in his blue eyes, then turned to Lom. Heyes barely heard the lawman and the attorney's low voiced conversation as he listened to Lorraine and Clem.

"I haven't got any idea what you're talking about," replied Lorraine with a frown in Harry's direction. "Whoever gave you that idea?"

"Thaddeus," replied Clem with a sweet smile. "Remember? You told him."

Clem stepped closer to Lorraine, moving between Heyes and the woman. A tiny hand raised. One finger poked Lorraine high on the chest at the hard flat hollow between the woman's collarbones.

"Ramon Cordoba is a friend of ours," hissed Clem. She punctuated each word with a thump on Lorraine's chest. "Don't you forget that! If anything bad happens to him, _anything_ , I will hold you responsible."

"Nothing bad is going to happen to Ramon!"

The two women glared at each other. They might have stayed like that for all eternity if it hadn't been for Janet.

"Lorraine, you're right. We need to catch the train," reminded Janet. The gray haired woman stepped towards the door. "Harry, it's time to go."

Janet and Lorraine stepped outside. Clem stood there seething for a moment before she stalked out of the sheriff's office. Harry leaned closer to Heyes.

"Matt threatened to shoot me," whispered Harry. "Clem didn't, but I think I'm more worried about what Clem might do."

"You should be worried, about both of them," replied Heyes with a smirk. "Matt is a pretty good bad girl, but Clem is a pretty bad good girl. They'll do anything it takes to keep our families safe."

"Good thing I'm Kid's uncle, I'm feeling safer already," retorted Harry. "When Janet and I get married, we'll all be family."

Wagener followed the women out, leaving Heyes blinking. The stunned brown eyed genius turned to Riordan and Lom.

"Clem and I are going to see them off," informed Heyes. With a direct look at Riordan, he asked the lawyer, "Are you coming to Thunder Ridge or do you want me to take those papers to Thaddeus?"

"I've brought the papers he requested," replied Riordan with an easy smile. His blue eyes shone happily. "But I need to speak with Papa Jones too."

While Riordan Hale addressed both Clem and Heyes as Cousin, he had started referring to Kid and Matt as Papa and Mama Jones the second summer he came to Thunder Ridge.

"Good," smiled Heyes. "Clem and I will be back as soon as we see Harry off."

"Heyes," grumbled Lom, "make sure Harry and those women leave my town! I don't want them back here again, especially not that Lorraine!"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Harry had already passed Clem and joined Janet and Lorraine as they walked towards the train station. Heyes caught up with Clem before she reached the street corner. The slender man linked his arm through hers.

"Riordan's coming back to Thunder Ridge with us," confided Heyes.

"Good," nodded Clem. "He should be part of the family meeting too."

The southbound train had already started boarding. Lorraine, followed by Janet climbed up the steps into the first car. Heyes released Clem's arm and stepped forward to grab Harry's arm.

"Are you sure you want to go to Santa Marta?" asked Heyes. "You don't even speak Spanish."

The two men watched through the train window as the women moved down the aisle to a pair of vacant seats.

"The cold bothers my old bones," replied Harry. With a fond look at Janet now seated by the window, he added, "Getting old is hard work, I don't want to do it alone."

"You've got a place in Thunder Ridge if things don't work out," blurted out Heyes. "You've got friends. You don't ever have to be alone."

Harry turned and patted Heyes on his shoulder. The silver haired man's eyebrows rose as he placed a foot on the train steps. An avaricious glint in his eyes gave Heyes pause.

"Tell Kid, Uncle Harry will be back to visit for his birthday," smirked Harry. "I figure the waterfall should be just a trickle again by August, and I've got a diamond to retrieve."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After supper, Matt took baby Amanda into the big bedroom. Kid picked up Carolyn and Charlotte, one under each arm, and made to follow. The strong blond glanced back over his shoulder to Heyes.

"Would you and Riordan get more wood for the fireplace?" asked Kid, before he disappeared with two giggling, squirming four year olds.

Heyes glanced at the young attorney still seated at the long narrow table. The older girls and Arthur were clearing the table. Jenny had stayed in town tonight, while Kyle had gone to have supper with Wheat and Martha. Riordan nodded and pushed back his chair to stand up. From the kitchen, the sound of running water started.

"Where are those dishes?" called Clem.

Eliza reached in front of Heyes for his empty plate. Hannah and Jennifer carried other dishes towards the kitchen. At the far end of the table, eight year old Arthur added another plate on the stack in his hands.

"Arthur," called Heyes, "would you help me and Riordan with the wood?"

Arthur's dark brown eyes lit up at the invitation. Thirteen year old Eliza rolled her blue eyes and beckoned. The young boy hastily added the dishes he held in his hands to Eliza's pile and hurried to the door, pausing to wait for his father.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

By the time Heyes, Riordan and Arthur returned bearing enough wood to keep the fireplace blazing all night, Matt and Kid were back in the front room.

"They're asleep already?" asked Heyes in surprise as his partner reached to take a log from his arms.

"Amanda's in the cradle, she'll be up again later, I'm sure," answered Kid with a chuckle. "Charlotte and Carolyn are tucked into the trundle. They fell asleep before I finished reading _The Three Bears_."

Clem entered the room followed by Eliza, Hannah and Jennifer. Eliza stopped at the bookcase near the doorway. Three twisted white bark pine branches rose from the vase on top, scenting the room with a faint pine fragrance. Interspersed between the books on the shelves below were three boxes. A rosewood writing box, a box of chess pieces and a Parcheesi game. Eliza's hand reached for the game.

"Eliza," called Kid. "No board games tonight. Come to the table, we're gonna have a family meeting."

Beside the table, Matt beckoned. Eliza, Hannah, Jennifer and Arthur exchanged an uncertain glance. Kid moved to the side of the table and pulled out a chair for Matt, then he sat beside her. He raised a hand and beckoned as well. The children started forward.

"Riordan," urged Kid, "you too, although you already know most of what we're gonna talk about."

Heyes moved to stand beside Kid. The blond's face looked ashen and his big hand rested on the table. Heyes remembered Kid's worry about telling the girls that Thaddeus Jones was Kid Curry. Matt clasped Kid's hand. Kid's thumb reached over, rubbing the flat top of her hand. The couple shared a small smile.

"What's this about Papa?" asked Eliza as she sat down opposite her father.

Hannah moved to sit opposite Heyes, while Jennifer sat on Eliza's other side. Arthur pulled out the seat beside Matt for his mother, then moved to sit across from her beside Jennifer. Heyes stomach did an uncontrollable flutter as he looked down the long narrow table. Riordan joined them at the head of table, seating himself between Heyes and Hannah. Heyes took a deep breath and sat down beside Kid.

"There's some things you should know," began Kid. "About our family…"

"It's alright Papa," interrupted Eliza, reaching forward to pat his forearm. "Grammy already told us you were adopted."

"Huh?"

Eliza sat back in her chair and beamed.

"We know," answered Hannah softly. "Grammy Jenny told us about your family getting killed in Kansas and her son Billy."

"Grammy said she loves all of us," stated Jennifer with absolute assurance.

"Since the day we were born," smiled Arthur.

Kid's mouth opened and swallowed wordlessly. Heyes's dimpled smile spread across his face.

"There might be more than Jenny told you," suggested Heyes.

"You mean the part where Uncle Mac isn't really Grammy's older brother and he sorta adopted Papa as his nephew?" asked Eliza. Her bright blue eyes looked inquisitively at Heyes. "Or the part where Henry is really Papa's half-brother but he was adopted by a man named Curry?"

"They were separated during the war," continued Hannah.

"Henry won't call Papa brother," chimed in Jennifer, "because someone might think Papa…"

"Is the outlaw Kid Curry," concluded Arthur.

"That one!" exclaimed Kid finding his voice at last, but before anyone could respond, his wife spoke.

"Do you know that I was married once before I met your father?" asked Matt softly.

Across the table, Heyes saw four mouths drop open in surprise. Three pairs of blue eyes and one pair of dark brown eyes widened as Kid brought his other hand to the table and clasped both hands around Matt's.

"I was very young and thought I was in love," continued Matt. She shook her head sadly. "But it was a mistake."

"Are you a bigamist?" blurted out Arthur.

Clem glared at her son and the dark haired boy wisely closed his mouth. Questions came fast and furious from the girls.

"Who was he?" asked Jennifer.

"What happened?" asked Hannah.

"Are you still our Papa?" asked Eliza. Her chin wobbled a little, but she stared straight at Kid.

"I will always be your father," declared Kid. With a glance at each of the girls and a slight twist of his head to include Riordan, he insisted, "Even if you don't want me to be."

Matt looked from one child to the other, finally letting her gaze settle on Arthur.

"No, I'm not a bigamist," answered Matt. "I divorced my first husband before I married again."

The tall blue eyed woman looked at Jennifer.

"His name was Jake Tattersall," continued Matt. "He told me he worked for the railroad, but that was a lie."

Matt's chin wobbled as she addressed Hannah. Kid leaned closer, his hands tightened their grip on hers, as he pressed the warmth of his body against Matt.

"Jake was a bank robber, a thief and a murderer," explained Matt. "He was a bad, bad man."

Matt turned her blue eyes back to her oldest daughter.

"Jake killed your grandfather, Sheriff Anselm Meyer," whispered Matt. "And I tried to kill Jake. That's when I met your Papa and Joshua. They helped capture Jake and send him to jail."

At the far end of the table, the dark haired boy squirmed and couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer.

"Pa, you captured a murderer!" exclaimed Arthur. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Arthur…," started Heyes.

"The first time I met your father and Thaddeus," interrupted Matt, "I lied about my name and dressed up as a boy."

"You lied about your name?" echoed Jennifer.

"And dressed up as a boy?" repeated Hannah.

"Was that man, Jake, the bad man that came here?" asked Eliza.

The teenager's face was pale with the memory. Heyes wondered if Eliza still had nightmares about that day. During the first year after Jake's unwanted visit, Kid had spent many a night rocking his eldest daughter back to sleep after a bad dream.

"Yes, he tried to kill your Papa, but I shot him," answered Matt. Her chin jutted out. "And I would do it again to protect my family."

Eliza looked from her mother to her father.

"Papa?" quavered Eliza.

"Everybody makes mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes hurt folks you care about," said Kid softly.

"Did you make mistakes too?"

"Yes," answered Kid, with a sigh. "I've made plenty of mistakes, and the sad thing is at the time I thought I was doing the right thing."

"What kinda mistakes?"

"The first time I met your mother, I lied about my name too," sighed Kid. "I've lied about my name to a whole lotta folks."

"Why?"

"You lied about your name?"

"What name did you use?"

"Thaddeus Jones," answered Kid in a soft tone looking from Eliza, to Hannah, to Jennifer. "My partner and I made a deal with the governor. If we stayed out of trouble, he would grant us amnesty."

"Amnesty?"

"Isn't that when outlaws get pardoned?"

"Papa, what did you do?"

"My partner and I rode with the Devil's Hole Gang when we younger," answered Kid. At the shocked look on his daughter's faces, he added, "We robbed banks and trains, but we never shot anyone back then. It wasn't until years later that I killed a man."

There was a momentary stunned silence.

"He called you out!" reminded Heyes forcefully. "The sheriff said it was self defense!"

The children's questions drowned out Kid's response.

"What?"

"You were a bank robber?"

"Papa," asked Eliza, "if Thaddeus Jones is a lie, what is your real name?"

"My real name is Jedidiah Curry," answered Kid.

"And I'm Hannibal Heyes," added Heyes, watching the children carefully

In the silence that followed this time, confused children looked from one to another.

"Like in the dime novels?" asked Arthur, eyes glowing bright with excitement. "You're Kid Curry? The fastest gun in the West?"

"Real life isn't exactly like they tell it in those story books," sighed Heyes.

"The dime novels always have Curry and Heyes robbing evil bankers or railroad barons," started Hannah.

"Giving the money to some deserving poor folks," continued Jennifer, "rescuing a beautiful woman…"

"Usually kissing her too," interrupted Arthur, rolling his dark brown eyes. The eight year old looked exasperated. "The authors are always ruining a good adventure by sticking in that mushy stuff."

"Someday you're gonna like that mushy stuff," smirked Heyes.

Clem shot him a glare, but it was Kid's words that stopped the children's babble.

"Our lives ain't been a dime novel!" exclaimed Kid.

"No," agreed Eliza. "It's so much better."

"Huh?"

"Better than a dime novel," exclaimed Eliza. Her blue eyes shone and her face was lit up with pride. "You're real, and you wished you hadn't done those bad things…"

"No," interrupted Kid.

Eliza's smile disappeared. She looked at her father with a shocked expression.

"No?" echoed Eliza.

"Don't go making me out to be some sort of hero," objected Kid shaking his curly head. "I'm just a regular man. I made mistakes, but at the time I thought I was doing the right thing. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably make all those same mistakes again."

"You would choose to be an outlaw?" asked Eliza.

The other children were silent, staring, owl eyed at Kid.

"I don't think anybody chooses to be an outlaw," replied Kid in a soft voice. "At the time, I thought I was making sure a fella named Loomis didn't kill anyone. Turned out, stopping him was the same as joining the Devil's Hole Gang."

The partners exchanged a glance. There had been so many times over the years that life had backed them into corners where there seemed no good way out.

"Pa? Why?" asked Arthur. "Why would you become a bank robber?"

Heyes remembered the first gang he ever rode with. He'd been a hungry seventeen year old. There was no work. He was too old for the orphanage, desperate, on the road with a lot of other hungry, desperate folks. Jim Plummer didn't ask Heyes if he wanted to rob a bank, the man asked if Heyes wanted supper. Was a plate of beans and two biscuits really the start of Heyes' career as the most successful outlaw in the West?

"I was just trying to stay alive," answered Heyes. "I was on my own, some of the choices I made, some of the people I trusted, weren't the best."

Kid flashed a comforting smile at his partner.

"We made a good decision when we decided to stick together," continued Kid.

"Partners," declared Heyes with a warm smile.

"And we made another good decision when we decided to go straight," stated Kid.

"Of course that governor was a pretty tricky fellow," added Heyes. "He didn't exactly keep his promise."

Kid beckoned to Riordan.

"Did you bring those amnesty papers like I asked?" asked Kid. "I wanted to show the girls. We really did try."

The blue eyed attorney reached into his inside vest pocket and took out a long brown envelope tied with string. Untying the envelope he first withdrew two folded yellow papers.

"These are the original amnesty agreements signed in eighteen-eighty," Riordan pursed his lips and squinted. "And a posthumous pardon granted in eighteen eighty-eight to Hannibal Aloysius Heyes and Jedidiah Riordan Curry."

The young man's voice trailed off. He looked up at the faces staring at him from the length of the table.

"It's been over twenty years since the original agreement was signed, and the terms were never fully honored," stated Riordan. "I brought this matter to Governor Richard's attention."

"What?" asked Kid.

The blond shot a worried look at Heyes while the defense attorney withdrew another set of more recent papers. The crisp white paper made the date October 8, 1902 show quite clearly as Riordan passed one paper to Kid and another to Heyes.

"Unconditional amnesty," breathed Kid, breaking into a huge smile as he read the writing. "Finally!"

"Of course," continued Riordan, "the names of Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes are not quite as forgotten as you might hope."

"What do you mean?" asked Heyes.

"Those names are dangerous," with a glance at Eliza, Hannah, Jennifer and Arthur, Riordan continued, "No one needs to talk about Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes outside of this room. You're all still the Jones' girls and Arthur Smith."

Brown eyes narrowed as he watched Riordan withdraw a final set of papers from the envelope. The lawyer patted his vest and brought out an ink pen.

"As your attorney," explained Riordan sounding quite officious, "I must recommend that you sign these papers, making the name changes official."

The young man leaned forward, looking Kid directly in the eyes. Blue eyes met blue.

"And as a member of this family, I'm asking you to please make your name change official," urged Riordan, his voice breaking with emotion. "I don't want someone trying to make a reputation by killing Kid Curry or Hannibal Heyes."

Kid took the ink pen from Riordan. Pen pressed against paper, when Heyes spoke.

"Why?" demanded Heyes. "Why after all this time would Governor Richards care anything about granting amnesty to two old former outlaws? Or granting a legal name change? Or anything to do with us?"

"He doesn't," answered the curly haired lawyer. "Governor Richard's is interested in his youngest daughter's happiness."

"Huh?"

"His daughter is getting married next spring," answered Riordan. The younger man rolled his blue eyes. "Mrs. Richard's is already planning a horribly fancy wedding."

"And what's this got to do with our amnesty?"

"As the intended groom, I explained to the Governor that I'd like my family to be there too," replied the attorney. Riordan leaned closer to Kid. "The Governor really doesn't want Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes on the guest list."

"Madeline accepted your proposal?" grinned Kid.

"Yeah," nodded Riordan happily. "Papa Jones, will you be my best man?"

Squeals of excitement erupted at the news. Kid and Heyes both rose to clap Riordan on the shoulder. The legal documents were signed and tucked back safely in Riordan's vest pocket. The noise woke Amanda. Matt went to retrieve the wailing baby before she woke Charlotte and Caroline. Clem called the children into the kitchen for dessert, but Eliza walked around the table to stand between her father and Riordan.

"Papa?" asked Eliza. "Were you ever married before you met Mama?"

"No darlin'," answered Kid. He flashed a warm smile at Matt returning with baby Amanda in her arms. "Your Mama is the only woman willing to put up with a man like me."

"Oh," Eliza's face looked disappointed.

"What's wrong Eliza?" asked Kid.

"It's just…," Eliza glanced at Riordan. "When you read the names, and Papa's middle name is the same as yours… well I was kinda hoping…"

Her voice trailed off as she lowered her eyes. Kid and Riordan exchanged a glance. Riordan nodded.

"Babies don't always wait for folks to get married before they show up," said Kid in a soft voice.

Eliza looked up, her eyes brightening. She looked from her father to Riordan and back again.

"Really?"

Kid and Riordan both nodded.

"But some folks get all upset about things like that," continued Kid. "They use some real ugly words, blame the child for something the parents did."

"And I don't want to disrespect the memory of my first parents," explained Riordan.

The look on Eliza's face told Heyes she understood.

"So people will still think we're cousins," urged Riordan. "Just like Papa Jones' and Cousin Joshua's real names, it will be our little secret."

Clem's voice sounded. Eliza and Riordan disappeared towards the kitchen leaving Heyes shaking his head.

"Tonight went better than I thought it would," chuckled Heyes.

"Yeah," agreed Kid with a relieved sigh.

"You were wrong about one thing though," whispered Matt. She reached up and traced the side of Kid's face with her fingertips. "Every time you read a bedtime story, or kiss a bruised knee, or tell a boy your daughter is only thirteen, you are a hero."

Matt jiggled the gurgling baby in her arms and followed Eliza and Riordan into the kitchen. Clem called once more.

"I'm slicing pound cake, and then we can all play charades."

Heyes and Kid looked at each other. Two heads shook in unison.

"We'll be out on the porch," called Heyes as he opened the front door.

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An owl hooted from the bare branches of a nearby aspen tree. Heyes pulled his dark brown blazer snug against the chill night air. Above, the clear starlit sky dazzled. Kid scraped a matchstick across the porch railing. Heyes brought his cigar up to meet the flame and inhaled. Leaning back, he puffed contentedly as his partner held the bright flickering flame towards his own cigar. A moment later the matchstick was out, leaving only the glowing end of Kid's cigar.

"That first bank robbery," mused Heyes, "I never was sure if you were pointing the gun at the folks in the bank or at our gang."

"Had to make sure no one did any shooting," replied Kid. "That meant everybody."

Heyes lips curled up in a thoughtful smile. It was a few moments before he spoke again.

"You coulda gone to Montana like we planned," reminded Heyes.

Kid's only answer was a snort.

"Did you really mean it?" asked Heyes in a soft voice. "That you wouldn't have done anything differently? Even Danny?"

"Going to Matherville wasn't a good idea, but I also decided to leave Matherville," reminded Kid.

For a long moment, there was nothing more but silence from his partner. Then from inside the home, a squeal of delight sounded. Soft laughter echoed as the charades players exchanged places. A smile spread across Kid's face.

"Every decision we made, good and bad, is what brought us here," continued Kid. "And I can't imagine anyplace I'd rather be."

"Pretty cold in the winter," reminded Heyes. "And you know what Harry said about the cold."

"We keep warm enough," replied Kid.

Heyes exhaled a ring of cigar smoke. Watching the white vapor dissipate as it floated upwards, Heyes thought about what kept a home warm. It was more than wood in a fireplace or coal in the furnace.

"With Riordan getting married next spring," smirked Heyes, "You'll be a Grampa before you know it."

Kid's blue eyes widened with the thought.

"Grampa Curry," continued Heyes, "kinda has a nice ring to it."

Kid leaned back in his chair. He brought one long leg up and set the booted foot on the railing, then brought the other leg over, crossing his ankles. A slow, warm smile spread across his face.

"Grampa Jones," corrected Kid.

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End file.
